There is no question that Rohit Sharma has not been at his best in red-ball cricket in recent times. Compared to the Rohit we saw in England in 2021, the Indian skipper seems to be in a hurry each time he is out there in the middle. It is as if he is bringing his white-ball approach to the red-ball game, blazing away from ball one to try and get himself out of the rut. Maybe that’s where he needs to take a step back and pause. Ask himself what worked for him in red-ball cricket in tough batting conditions. How many balls did he leave in England in that 2021 series, where he was clearly India’s best batter? What was his approach then, and what has changed since?
Soon after coming back from England in 2021, Rohit joined the Mumbai Indians camp for the IPL. And in one of the net sessions, he was batting under the watchful eyes of Mahela Jayawardene. At one point, by Rohit’s own admission, Mahela walked up to him to remind him that he was back to playing white-ball cricket and there was no need to leave so many balls outside off stump. Mentally, Rohit was still in England, and the red-ball mindset. Leaving balls outside the off stump had become second habit, and it was all in his mind. He was doing so naturally, for it had been internalised during the tour of England.
That’s what Test match batting is all about. Leave balls outside off stump, if needed. Take your time and build an innings. In Australia, that’s what Rohit will need to do. A few quick runs won’t help India. A big knock would. And that can happen only if Rohit can go back to the mindset that helped him be the red-ball opener that he was in England in 2021.
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With leadership weighing on his mind, whether he can do that is the question. Can he reinvent himself one more time? Ahead of the 2023 World Cup, Rohit did so mentally. From a conventional approach, he decided to take the bowlers head on and make a statement. It worked superbly for India and set the tone. He followed the same template in the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, and his innings of 90 off 40 balls against Australia was evidence of this changed approach.
But then, that’s white-ball cricket and it can’t consistently work in the red-ball format. That’s where Rohit needs one more reinvention. Get himself mentally ready for Australia. Be prepared to look ugly, and take a few blows on the body. Play and miss a few times, but don’t give up. If India are to make a statement yet again in Australia, Rohit will have to lead from the front.
In 2018, Virat Kohli played extremely well as skipper. In 2021, it was Ajinkya Rahane who played a series-defining knock in Melbourne. Each time, it was the leader who made a telling difference. This time round, it has to be Rohit. To do so, he needs to be mentally in sync with what is needed. Make the adjustment, and go about his business. Scoring runs will make him a better leader, and that’s what India will hope for come the Border-Gavaskar trophy.