NEW DELHI: After India’s disappointing loss in Adelaide, former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan addressed the inconsistent form of star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, emphasising the need for consistent performances. He pointed out that relying on past laurels will only make things more challenging for the duo as they age, even though expectations from them remain unchanged.
Wassan also expressed his view that batting Rohit at number six was a wrong decision. Rohit’s return to cricket was underwhelming, as he managed only single-digit scores in his struggle-filled outings batting at number six. Adding to the woes, India suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide within three days.
Rohit Sharma’s struggle continues
Meanwhile, after a century at Perth, Kohli’s struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump resurfaced. He could only manage scores of seven and 11 in the match, leaving the team reeling from the lack of contributions from their star players.
“Look, I knew this focus would come on Virat and Rohit. This would come again and again. But look, their exploits, you will start seeing less of it as they age. When you get older, it happens. You think that he will do it in every match. That is not possible. But their value is worth its weight in gold. Because standing there, their staying in the team, adds depth in the team. That is very important. But you have to perform. You cannot survive on your past laurels and reputation. Your past body of work can only give you this much leverage. Then it starts troubling you when expectations get high, but your potency is low as you age. I think it is very important for them to stay and pull their weight,” Wassan said while speaking to news agency ANI.
This Virat Kohli is like Sachin Tendulkar of 2011-13
Wassan criticised the decision to have Rohit bat lower down the order, calling it a ‘tactical mistake’ given his proven ability to succeed in Australian conditions.
Rohit entered the game with a strong record, averaging over 43 in 25 Tests as a middle-order batter, with three centuries and six fifties. However, he failed to build on this solid foundation and struggled to make an impact in the Adelaide Test.
“Now I think it is a mistake that Rohit Sharma did not go and open. I think so. Because his mindset, his mentality is not of middle order batter. But KL (Rahul) has the capacity to play up and down. I think it is a tactical mistake. That would not work. Rohit is a great captain. No matter how he plays, how he plays his shots, and the kind of game he has, in Australia, he is more likely to come off. More likely to be successful. The mistake he made in the New Zealand series, that he tried to play his natural game against the tide. Against the run of play, that was a bit difficult. Because now it is 6 innings (against NZ). Now he has gone there. Now it is 2 innings. So there will be a bit of pressure. But I think he should come back. Just play to his own potential, capacity and talent. And we will all be alright,” Wassan added.
