Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary Indian cricketer, criticised Rohit Sharma for his dismissal after the Indian skipper’s poor batting performance caused India to register an unwanted record in the ICC World Cup. After failing to score a single run in the game against Australia, the top three batsmen were removed for a duck.
Rohit Sharma was the leading run-scorer of the marquee tournament in the 2019 World Cup in England, scoring five centuries in the previous edition, but had a disastrous start to his ODI World Cup campaign on home soil after being dismissed without troubling the scorers. He was dismissed by Josh Hazelwood.
In his column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the performance of the Indian skipper in the previous edition of the World Cup and feels that his footwork was vulnerable against the new-ball bowlers which makes him susceptible to incoming deliveries.
Besides, Gavaskar added that if the Indian skipper can find his form just like last World Cup then it would augur well for the Men in Blue.
“In the last tournament in 2019, Rohit Sharma, the Indian skipper, hit five centuries and a few half-centuries too. This time around, which could well be his last World Cup, he has begun with a zero in the first game.
“The footwork is palpably slow to start with, and that makes him vulnerable to the incoming delivery. If he can rediscover the 2019 form, then India will be assured of a very good start to their campaign,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
Rohit Sharma was in the form of his life during the 2019 Cricket World Cup. The 36-year-old hit five centuries for India at the mega event while playing in English conditions, providing the much-needed start for the Men in Blue in tricky conditions. With the marquee event being held at home, the Men in Blue will be hopeful of their skipper finding form going forward in the tournament.
No One Can Be Termed As Favourites After They Have Played Their First Match – Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar feels that no team will be favourites going into the long tournament in India, with lesser-ranked teams Afghanistan, Netherlands, and Sri Lanka losing their opening fixtures in the game. He believes that it would be difficult for the big teams to maintain the form going forward in the mega event.
“The so-called minnows, Afghanistan and the Netherlands, have started with defeats as also Sri Lanka who had to qualify for the tournament. It’s going to be a long haul for all the teams, and no one can be termed as favourites after they have played their first match. That’s why this tournament could well be the most exciting of them all,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
The Men in Blue will take on Afghanistan in their second game of the ODI World Cup at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium and the Indian team will be without the services of Shubman Gill for the clash, who is still recovering from dengue fever. Gill reportedly has been hospitalised in Chennai following a drop in his platelet count.
