Former Indian batter Ajay Jadeja feels Indian captain Rohit Sharma will be personally disappointed with his batting performance against Bangladesh in the two-match Test series, which the hosts won by 2-0. Rohit could only manage 42 runs in four innings at an average of 10.50 and thus failed to deliver at the top of the order.
Rohit returned with scores of 6, 5, 23, and 8 in the series. The right-hander had scored 157 runs in three ODIs against Sri Lanka but could not carry the same form in the red-ball version.
Rohit smashed Khaled Ahmed for two sixes in the first innings of the second Test and scored a fine cameo of 11-ball 23 but could not come up with consistent performances.
“You can see it two ways. Rohit the batter that we are used to, who we have been seeing for so many years, he is among those who have scored double-centuries, both in ODIs and Tests. There is no doubt that he is a leader in the template we talk about, the three sixes he hit, and then how the innings went,” Ajay Jadeja said on Colors Cineplex.
“However, I personally consider Rohit Sharma the batter much bigger than this, but those big knocks don’t come daily. If we see this series, there is no doubt that he created an impact but Rohit the opener didn’t convert any of his innings. So Rohit as a batter would be personally disappointed,” the former India captain added.
Jadeja feels the Indian fans would be disappointed after Rohit could not breach the 50-run mark in the series.
“I hope he is (disappointed) because as a fan you get disappointed when you don’t get to see a single 50, 100, 150 or 200 from Rohit Sharma, because this is neither T20 nor ODI. In fact, he scores 200 even in ODIs,” he observed.
The former Indian batter feels Rohit will be disappointed as the expectations from him are always high.
“He might be personally disappointed but the outcome that has come for the entire team, he would be extremely happy because of that, there is no doubt about that, and the fans are also happy with that. Captaincy is what you extract from someone. If a guy scores 150 or 200 on a good day, if we start getting happy with 20 on his good day, we are setting our benchmark low,” Jadeja said.
India will next take on Bangladesh in the opening T20I at the New Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium, Gwalior on Sunday.
