Rohit Sharma decided to return to his customary batting slot as an opener in the Melbourne Test against Australia after failed attempts to score runs in the middle order. However, the swap didn’t change his luck. Intead, it disturbed the line-up and hurt India’s confidence, feels former Pakistan batter Basit Ali, leading to a defeat.
Dismissed for 9 by Pat Cummins on the final morning of the fourth Test in Melbourne, Rohit’s appalling aggregate in five innings so far on the tour of Australia reads 31 runs. It gives him an average of 6.20, which is the worst for any visiting captain in Australia. If he fails in Sydney as well, it will probably become a new record, worse than tailender and former West Indies captain Courtney Walsh’s average of 7.75.
The 284-run defeat came about in a sorry way, as India lost their last seven wickets for just 34 runs, slipping from 121 for 3 to 155 all out. It gave Australia a 2-1 lead in this Border Gavaskar Trophy series with one Test left to play.
“Did India get overconfident after winning the first Test (in Perth)?” questioned Basit, while analysing the last day’s play on his YouTube channel.
“Ek faisla – ke nahi, mai open karunga,” he added, pointing at Rohit’s decision to open. “Rohit is not in form, and the one who was scoring runs, (KL) Rahul, you put him under pressure as well.”
“Aapne team ka confidence bilkul shatter kar diya (you shattered the confidence of the team).”
It is being conjectured that the last Test of the series in Sydney, beginning January 3, could be Rohit’s last in red-ball cricket. Nothing’s certain, but Basit felt Rohit should call time on his Test career.
“I think the time has come for Rohit to step down; (Jasprit) Bumrah should be made captain for the last Test. You have served India a lot, but your body is not supporting you now,” said Basit.
He further criticised Rohit’s decision to open and felt that Shubman Gill should have played in Melbourne at the No. 3 position.
India dropped Gill to bring in all-rounder Washington Sundar to have another bowling option while not compromising entirely on the batting front by leaving out a specialist batter.
“Gill should have played, even if he scored a zero in both the innings. But just because of your number (Rohit’s opening position), you disturbed the lineup of the entire team,” Basit accused the India captain.
Why not drop Kohli down the order?
Basit also criticised Virat Kohli for getting out caught behind repeatedly by poking at balls well outside his off-stump and going for the ball instead of letting it come onto his bat.
Besides his century in the second inning at Perth, Kohli has done nothing of note in his remaining innings on the tour.
Basit went as far as advising coach Gautam Gambhir-led Indian team management to let Nitish Kumar Reddy bat at Kohli’s No. 4 position, after the 21-year-old all-rounder’s consistent show throughout the series, which included his maiden century in the first innings of the Melbourne Test.
“Now is the team to bring Nitish up at No. 4 and Virat Kohli at No. 5 because he is not able to score at No. 4. He’s getting out on the same shot,” said Basit.
“Perform nahi ho raha to apna number toh neeche karo na. Rohit upara neeche kar raha hai, Virat ka koi nahi soch raha, kyunki darte hain na sab (if you are not able to score then drop lower down the order; Rohit is doing that but nobody thinking about Virat because everybody’s afraid).
“Mera khayal hai Dravid ki yaad aayegi (I think former coach Rahul Dravid will be missed).”
