Legendary Australian batter Matthew Hayden urged Indian captain Rohit Sharma to play with great energy and intent on Day 4 of the Brisbane Test. India were left lurching after their batting collapse on Day 3, leaving the responsibility of holding the fort on the shoulders of Rohit and KL Rahul.
Matthew Hayden has a message for Rohit Sharma
After Australia posted a formidable first-innings total of 445, India's batting lineup faltered against the hosts' bowling attac, especially Mitchell Starc. Yashasvi Jaiswal (4), Shubman Gill (1), Virat Kohli (3), and Rishabh Pant (9) were dismissed cheaply, leaving the team in a precarious position.
Meanwhile, Hayden expressed his disappointment with Rohit's lack of energy in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy and called for a more aggressive approach from the Indian captain.
"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.
Hayden wants Rohit and KL Rahul to stitch a long partnership for India to rebuild and stage a comeback. However, Rohit faces increasing pressure, not only due to his underwhelming batting performances but also for his decision to bowl first after winning the toss in Brisbane.
Rohit Sharma's major dip in form
Rohit's form has been a major concern throughout the series. After joining the team in the Adelaide Test, he scored a mere nine runs. Even in the recent home series against New Zealand, where India whitewashed them 3-0, Rohit managed only 91 runs across three matches, raising questions about his rhythm and consistency.
Despite the heavy criticism, Hayden believes this is an opportunity for Rohit to silence his critics and prove his worth as both a captain and a batter.
With rain curtailing play on Day 3 leaving India reeling at 51/4 in reply to Australia's formidable 445, Rohit and KL Rahul now have extra time to strategise their approach.
