With India’s recent 0-3 series loss to New Zealand, scrutiny has intensified on captain Rohit Sharma’s form in the Test format.
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik has voiced concerns about Rohit’s approach, particularly his tendency to rely on aggressive shots when under pressure.
His “intent” in batting, which is often effective in white-ball cricket, has been questioned in the longer format of the game.
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Is Rohit Sharma’s attacking approach affecting his Test form?
In the recent series, Rohit struggled significantly, scoring only 91 runs across six innings. In the final match at Wankhede, India was chasing a modest 147 but fell short by 25 runs, with Rohit contributing only 18 and 11 in his two innings.
According to Karthik, Rohit’s tendency to play aggressively when under pressure, a habit stemming from his white-ball success, may be impacting his effectiveness in Tests.
Karthik observed that while aggression works in limited-overs cricket, it may not be the best approach in Tests, where conditions often demand a more measured and defensive playstyle.
“As a batter, what Rohit Sharma has done since the time he’s taken over captaincy, mainly in white ball cricket, the one thing that he’s infused is he’s been the torchbearer for intent. He’s shown the aggressive intent, he’s liked doing it and has been successful doing it. Now is his time where he’s unsuccessful. But my question to Rohit Sharma would be, that intent is a positive one for white ball cricket, one Indian cricket very much needed,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
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“In this cricket, what I feel is that intent is getting him into a safe space where he feels when in trouble, use that. It’s not a method where he’s using it like he’s using it in white ball cricket, one that Indian team needed. Here, a lot of times, today’s knock, I’m not too fussed about, but what I’m saying in general is, when he is beaten a couple of times, when he is put under a little bit of pressure, an immediate instinct is to play an attacking shot fraught with risk. Now, with that comes the ability to get out as well,” he added.
How did Dinesh Karthik describe Rohit Sharma’s “Safe Space”?
Karthik highlighted that Rohit often uses aggressive shots as his “safe space,” especially when he finds himself in difficult situations. He noted that in white-ball cricket, Rohit’s approach to maintain high “intent” has yielded results and proven beneficial to Indian cricket.
However, in the Test format, where challenges vary and patience is key, Rohit’s instinct to attack might be counterproductive. Karthik pointed out that when Rohit attempts risky shots early under pressure, he increases his chances of getting out.
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“I think his safe space right now, in Rohit Sharma’s case, is to attack. hen in that, he feels he is a lot more comfortable doing because he’s seen that success. But when it doesn’t go right, it always will give the image that it has given so far,” Dinesh Karthik said.
