‘Didn’t score in two games’: India coach downplays Rohit Sharma amid poor form | Cricket News

Backed by India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak Rohit Sharma despite the poor return of the opener in the ongoing ODI series against England, saying that there is no pressure on a player of his stature and that he can play a different innings in the series decider at Lord’s.Rohit’s struggles were evident in the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday, where England won by four wickets to level the three-match series 1-1. The opener never looked settled, scoring just 10 runs off 18 balls at the end of the Powerplay despite India racing to 61/1. He eventually made 26 off 47 balls before being dismissed while attempting a sweep against Will Jacks. Rohit has not enjoyed the best run in ODIs this year. In eight matches, he managed just one half-century and averaged 30.12. With speculation mounting over whether the selectors could move on from the former India captain ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Kotak was asked after the Cardiff defeat whether Rohit’s place could be under review after Sunday’s final ODI.“I don’t think a player of Rohit’s stature can feel the pressure,” Kotak said after the match.“He’s a very good player to feel that. Yes he didn’t score in two games. I don’t think that makes a difference. [that he didn’t get a big score].”While Rohit was struggling to walk, captain Shubman Gill made a quick start before falling for 31 off 30 balls. Virat Kohli Started positively too, hitting three boundaries in his first 11 deliveries as England’s bowlers struggled with their lengths early on a pitch that offered a variable bounce.ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma is no longer an automatic selection after the Lord’s ODIKotak dismissed the suggestion that Rohit was struggling and said the opener could return in the final ODI at Lord’s.“He is a [given] day, there’s a lot of batters I’ve seen, they don’t get the momentum they’re looking for, and that can happen,” Kotak said.“You might see [a] completely different innings from Rohit Sharma at Lord’s. I wouldn’t use the word struggling, but maybe the shots that he usually plays high, that because of the double bounce, he probably feels it’s not comfortable.“Shubman started quickly, then Virat started quickly, but he [Rohit] maybe you didn’t get a ball in his slot.“You can definitely see a completely different innings from a player like Rohit and I’ve seen that happen with a lot of batters. So it’s not just Rohit.India looked poised for a bigger total after reaching 178/3, with Kohli scoring 65 and Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 66. However, the innings lost momentum after Kohli’s dismissal as India slipped to 193/7 before ending on 233.England chased down the target with four wickets in hand to level the three-match ODI series 1-1. The decider will be played at Lord’s on Sunday.