Captain Rohit Sharma of the Indian cricket team© AFP
It's been a tough few months for Rohit Sharma, captain of the Indian cricket team. In the last seven matches since the start of the Test season against Bangladesh, India have managed to post a total of more than 250 only four times and a major reason for that has been the poor show of Rohit and Virat Kohli. Rohit (142 runs in six Tests) has struggled mightily and his fortunes did not change in the second Test match against Australia where he once again left pundits and fans disappointed. In an interview with Insidesport, former South African cricketer Daryll Cullinan launched a brutal attack on Rohit, calling the India captain 'overweight' and a 'flat bully' while adding that he is not a 'long-term option'.
“Rohit is overweight and not in good physical condition to face a long test series. Compare him to Virat and the difference in fitness is striking. Rohit is no longer a long-term option for India.”
In the interview, Cullinan said Rohit is a 'flat tack bully' who had a brilliant record at home. However, he pointed out that he has a problem with bounce and this leads to many of his dismissals.
Meanwhile, former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden urged Indian batters to bat “better and on time” during the third Brisbane Test against Australia from December 14.
After a disappointing batting performance against the pink ball in Adelaide, Team India would be desperate to make big runs and a series lead-clinching win against Aussies in Brisbane.
After a humiliating loss to the visitors by 295 runs at Optus Stadium in Perth, with Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Yashasvi Jaiswal making standout contributions, the hosts bounced back magnificently with top bowling spells from red-ball magicians Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins and a counter-attacking star from Travis Head helped them flatten India by 10 wickets, setting an extremely easy target of 19 runs.
While India put in a fine performance in Perth with 487/6 in the second innings thanks to heroics from KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Virat Kohli, Team India's batting has looked largely lethargic since the start of their home Test season against Bangladesh and New Zealand . .
(With ANI inputs)
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