Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has come out in the support of India’s Test skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been criticized for a run-less performance in the current Test series against Australia. While Rohit is known more for his heroics in limited-overs cricket, he has struggled in Tests during this series, and the scores of 3, 6, and 10 only add to the poor form. He also didn’t play the first Test in Perth due to personal reasons.
It’s all been surrounded with voices calling for his exclusion from the team. Clarke, though has always emphasized the role and potential of Rohit. “You never pick just based on form. He’s captain of the team, so I’m picking him,” Clarke said in an interview. He said Rohit’s contributions are much more than the runs he scores personally because he has shown his commitment to batting in the middle order to balance the lineup of the team and also to accommodate KL Rahul who has been performing so well as an opener.
Clarke also pointed out that struggles are not new to those who have performed very well in white-ball cricket. He said it’s a bit challenging to adjust to Test cricket’s demands when confidence is low.
Test Issues for Short Formers
Clarke brought an example of former white-ball specialist for Australia, Aaron Finch to support his point. While Finch has excelled in both ODI and T20s, his Test career could not be even near his expectations. “Finch will tell you, batting in Tests where the ball is moving, especially as someone who has dominated short-format cricket, it’s hard when your confidence drops,” Clarke said.Clarke believes Finch and Rohit are in that category of “X-factor players” who can win one-day matches single-handedly but must play to their natural attacking game to win. “I’d rather have him go out and back himself from ball one. At times, it doesn’t look great, but that is the way these boys play,” he said.
Team Adaptations in the Series
Rohit has slotted down in the batting order to accommodate KL Rahul at the top, and Rahul has been excellent there. At the same time, the batting adjustment has also exposed Rohit to added pressure on his batting performances in new roles.Fourth Test: Time for Redemption
As the series enters its fourth Test, all eyes will be on Rohit, who begins on December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Indian team management still believes that their skipper will bounce back when it matters the most.
Clarke’s defense of Rohit brings out the patience and perspective needed when making judgments about players, especially those who have proven themselves in international cricket. Whether Rohit can turn his fortunes around and lead India to victory remains one of the most anticipated narratives heading into the Boxing Day Test.
