Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul began India’s charge with the bat on Day 4 of the third Test against Australia in Brisbane, hoping to get as close to the hosts’ 445-run mark as possible. While Rahul regained his Day 3 form, after the first-ball reprieve, Rohit departed after only scoring 10 runs. As Rohit, who batted at the No. 6 spot in the team, continued his dry run of form, a ‘frustrated act’ from him left fans on social media puzzled. Rohit, who was understandably disappointed by his early dismissal, threw his gloves near the Indian dugout.
Rohit’s gloves-throwing act triggered wild speculations on social media, with a section of fans wondering if Rohit is on the cusp of retirement from this format of the game.
Rohit Sharma left his gloves in front of the dugout. Signs of retirement? pic.twitter.com/DDZY7rkHhi
— Aragorn (@shiva_41kumar) December 17, 2024
Rohit became the victim of Pat Cummins’ disciplined bowling, as he departed without a big score to his name yet again. For veteran Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit’s poor form is down to the change in his batting position.
“It wasn’t a length where you can drive. We have seen that even a fuller length ball, it’s hard to drive. He, kind of tried to punch that ball. He should have defended that ball, allowed the ball to come to him rather than going for that ball. And I think the tough part is he hasn’t been, amongst runs, and, that’s where the pressure is,” said Pujara on Star Sports.
“He has been opening the innings, now he’s batting at number 6. That is for the team, but I still feel that when you are so much used to opening the innings and when you have to wait, then you put yourself in that doubt. I mean, it doesn’t help you when you’re opening innings and you suddenly start batting at number 6. So that you don’t get that momentum either,” he added.
Resuming from their wafer-thin overnight 51 for four, India needed someone to put his hands up and show some fight, and Rahul rose to the occasion.
There was a moment for massive fortune too for Rahul when Smith spilled a regulation catch at second slip off the first ball of the day from Pat Cummins.
Rahul was on 33 then. A quick look upwards and a silent prayer showed how much he valued that reprieve, which he exploited to the hilt. But once he woke up from a bit of morning haziness, Rahul looked a class apart from the rest of his colleagues.
The Bengaluru man’s sagacity shone bright in how he defended too — all soft hands and playing close to the body.
Rohit looked comfortable out there, showing patience to wait for the ball of his choice to play a shot.
But eventually, the 37-year-old was drawn into that no-feet movement shot, bane of him throughout this series.
Cummins pitched one close to the off-stump and Rohit poked at it with hard hands, and Alex Carey did the rest behind the stumps.
With PTI Inputs
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