Legendary Australian batter Matthew Hayden requested Indian skipper Rohit Sharma to play with high level of energy and will on Day 4 of the Gabba Test. Indian team was left in a jerky situation after they witnessed a collapse in batting lineup on Day 3.
They innings for India saw the fall of four wickets in within 17 overs. Three of these wickets were in quick succession as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli got dismissed earlier on in the day. Rishabh Pant was then later on dismissed as well.
When the stumps on Day 3 were called off, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were the batters on the pitch. Now the responsibility to steady the team’s innings will be on their sole shoulders.
Matthew Hayden expressed how he has been disappointed with Rohit’s lack of energy in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and has wished for the Indian skipper to come out and bat with a more aggressive approach.
“When I think of Rohit Sharma, I think of a free-scoring batsman. You look at those double hundreds in one day cricket, his magnificence in the short formats,” Hayden while speaking to Star Sports.
“For purely Rohit Sharma’s sake, he needs to have a great intent and energy about him. When I think back to Adelaide’s first game here in a long time, he was just a little sluggish. I’d be saying to him as his partner, ‘I don’t really want to see you defend the ball here’. I want him to be really reactive to the ball, really up for the fight, because his natural game will flow. Energy and intent will take that front foot a lot further towards the ball. Rohit, what I want you to do, my brother, is play with great energy and intent, and I’d have those as two maybe trigger words for him to think about in his preparation,” Hayden further stated.
Matthew wants Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to share a long-standing partnership for India to make base for a comeback. However, Rohit is facing high level of pressure, not because of his below-par performance but because of his decision to bowl first.
The post ‘Rohit… my brother, Play with…’: Australian legend wishes Indian captain to perform well with the bat in IND v AUS Gabba Test appeared first on Cricket Country.
