Former captain Sourav Ganguly is critical of Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and batting in Tests, which reflects in India’s recent poor show in red-ball cricket.
Sourav Ganguly is not at all happy with India’s recent decline in Test cricket, saying the team’s red-ball form is a concern in the wake of a poor season. India played 10 Tests across five months against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia, winning just three. Under Rohit Sharma, India beat Bangladesh 2-0, but in a shocking turn of events, were whitewashed by New Zealand at home before losing a 1-0 advantage in Australia. From winning the series opener in Perth, India lost the five-match affair 1-3, eventually surrendering the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in 10 years.
Sourav Ganguly (L) wants Rohit Sharma to find ways and arrest India’s slide in Test cricket(AFP Images)
As vocal as Ganguly is about Rohit and his white-ball skills as captain and batter, the former BCCI chief captain is worried about the Indian captain’s form in red-ball. With India having already endured a horror tour Down Under, leading to them missing the World Test Championship final, Ganguly has urged Rohit to think deep and think hard ahead of another gruelling five-Test series in England starting June.
“What has surprised me is his form in red ball over last 4-5 years. A player of his stature and ability, he can do much better than what he has done. He must put on his thinking cap because we have 5 Tests against England and that’s going to be another hard series. Just like the way it was in Australia. It’s going to seam; it’s going to swing. India need him to perform in the red ball but in white ball, he is one of the greatest ever,” Ganguly, the former India captain, said during Trailblazers 3.0, by RevSportz.
Rohit Sharma has to find a way, insists Sourav Ganguly
As someone who revolutionised Indian cricket as captain, Ganguly wants to see the same ruthlessness back in the Indian team. The type that existed when he was in charge or when Virat Kohli led India to success all over the world. With a report emerging that Rohit is set to continue as India’s Test captain for the tour of England, it’s evident that the skipper is not giving away playing in whites just yet. But while Rohit in white-ball cricket has been exemplary, leading India to a T20 World Cup win last year and a Champions Trophy triumph last Sunday, Ganguly wants Rohit to make amends before it gets too late.
“Leadership is very important. I have always said that Rohit Sharma is a fabulous captain. Because that’s what I see, that’s what I notice when he is captaining India. I’ve seen him captain Mumbai Indians. I have captained India for so many matches so I can see the traits in a captain,” Ganguly added.
“I’m not surprised that he’s taken the side to greater heights in white ball. I don’t know whether he’s going to continue playing Test cricket but if he is hearing me, he should take the responsibility of turning things around in red-ball. India are not good at red-ball at the moment and they need to look at it, find a way to play well in England because that’s going to be a very important five-Test series. Rohit has to find a way to get this team going.”
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