New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has criticized Rohit Sharma‘s decision to reopen the batting order in the Melbourne Test, stating it backfired for India, with both Rohit and KL Rahul failing to deliver. Basit Ali accused Rohit of “shattering” the team’s confidence, suggesting this decline occurred after the win in Perth, when Rohit opted to open again despite poor performances in the second and third Tests.
The India skipper, who missed the series opener against Australia due to the birth of his second child, chose to relinquish his usual opener role after KL Rahul’s impressive performance in Perth.
However, after the Brisbane Test, where he struggled to score runs at No. 6, Rohit Sharma moved back to the opening position, pushing Rahul to No. 3 and benching Shubman Gill— a decision that backfired.
“Did India get overconfident after winning the first Test? One decision—‘No, I’ll open.’ Rohit was out of form, and the player who was scoring runs, KL Rahul, was put under pressure. Aapne team ka confidence bilkul shatter kar diya (you shattered the confidence of the team),” Basit Ali stated on his YouTube channel.
“I think the time has come for Rohit to step down; (Jasprit) Bumrah should be made captain for the last Test. You’ve served India a lot, but your body is not supporting you now,” Basit Ali remarked.
Rohit Sharma, alongside Virat Kohli, has faced heavy scrutiny for their underwhelming performances in the ongoing five-Test series against Australia. Rohit has scored just 31 runs across five innings, with scores of 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9, averaging a dismal 6.2—the lowest by any touring skipper in Australia.
This slump in form for Rohit has persisted for some time. Earlier this year, he managed only 42 runs in four innings during the home Test series against Bangladesh and just 91 runs across three matches against New Zealand, a series in which India suffered a 0-3 loss under his captaincy.
