India's Rohit Sharma appears disheartened following the loss in the second Test against Australia. – Reuters
India captain Rohit Sharma's poor batting performance is impacting his leadership in Australia, according to former teammates Harbhajan Singh and Cheteshwar Pujara. Rohit has managed just one half-century in his last 12 Test innings, including eight scores under ten runs. His move to the middle order in the second Test did not provide relief, as he scored only three and six in Adelaide. Rohit missed India's dominant win in the first Test in Perth to be with his newborn son, and commentators observed his captaincy in Adelaide, where Australia won by ten wickets, to be overly cautious.
"No matter how great a player is, performance concerns always linger," former India spinner Singh told Star Sports. "When a player scores runs, better decisions follow. We hope Rohit Sharma can score some runs to improve his captaincy." Pujara, who was the player of the series when India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia in 2018-19, believes a few runs could transform Rohit into a more proactive leader.
"When a captain is out of form, it affects his leadership," Pujara told the broadcaster. He also suggested that Rohit, known for his aggressive opening style, should avoid risks early in his innings. "He is currently in poor form. However, a good start is crucial for him," Pujara said. "He should aim to steadily reach 20 or 30 runs first. After that, he can build on that start and convert it into a significant score."
KL Rahul opened for India in the first two Tests but might shift to the middle order for the rest of the series, with Rohit reclaiming the opener's spot alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. The third Test in Brisbane starts on Saturday.
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