Cuttack:Rohit Sharma is currently facing significant challenges in his performance. There is no denying this fact. It has been nearly a year since he last scored a century in any format, frequently succumbing to his preferred pull shot, with his feet and head often misaligned with his hands. Rarely has he appeared so out of form. Such struggles are common for a high-performing opener. However, this prolonged drought has extended through Test series against New Zealand and Australia, a Ranji Trophy match, and a one-day international against England.

Rohit remains an enigmatic figure, making it difficult to gauge his emotions while he sat out the Sydney Test amid retirement speculation, only for those discussions to resurface during ODIs, a format in which he has excelled, boasting three double centuries. Nevertheless, the absence of runs is undeniable, as are the early dismissals. Compounding the issue is his vulnerability to pace and bounce, or the lack thereof, particularly on Indian pitches that he typically navigates with ease. The concerns are so pressing that they extend beyond mere recent form, indicating a troubling decline in his statistics, a situation that even his former teammate believes must change soon.

R. Ashwin articulated this sentiment on his YouTube channel, stating, “From Rohit’s perspective, it is undoubtedly frustrating. He needs to focus on the series, as he believes he has performed well in this format and wishes to maintain that standard. However, questions will inevitably arise. Observers will certainly inquire. It’s a catch-22 scenario. These questions won’t cease until he delivers the performances expected of him.”

Rohit must now recognize that this is easier said than done. The 2023 ODI World Cup represented a shift in his strategy, as he opted not to linger at the crease, making it improbable that he will alter this approach during what could be the concluding phase of his white-ball career. This effectively eliminates the possibility of Rohit attempting to bat through the Powerplay overs unless he achieves rapid starts. Consequently, he finds himself in a catch-22 situation, where the success of the innings heavily relies on his ability to convert early opportunities. As a momentum player, Rohit is in urgent need of a breakthrough.

That is where his dwindling control percentage becomes a concern. Case in point is the dismissal at Nagpur — trying to whip Saqib Mahmood over midwicket but failing to read the swing on the ball that took the toe of his bat and ballooned to Liam Livingstone. Shades of this dismissal were found at the MCG as well more than a month back, with Sharma trying to pull Pat Cummins but spooning it to mid-on. Different formats, similar dismissals, this isn’t about form anymore. Rohit may be actually out of touch.

The timing is worse. Two matches to go for the Champions Trophy and India’s batting still teasing itself with the thrill of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer when Rohit and Virat Kohli should have been leading the charge is really leaving it too late. Ruled out of Nagpur due to a distressed knee, Kohli should be back in Cuttack, meaning Iyer may have to miss out despite a scintillating fifty in the first ODI. Kohli is the ultimate chase master, but no one has quite given the sheen to India’s one-day batting like Rohit. So, for India’s white-ball batting to really drive home its dominance, Rohit needs to flourish at the top, set up big scores.

“I personally don’t think there is any problem,” said Sitanshu Kotak, India’s batting coach, when asked about Rohit’s batting. “I mean, the last three ODIs Rohit has played, he has scored 56, 64 and 35. So, nearly averaging 50-plus in those last three one-dayers. I mean, we are talking about a player, like the guy has got 31 one-day international hundreds. And when they are back-to-back matches, when they keep scoring runs, nobody asks when will he fail.”

Perhaps a bit unfortunate is the optics that goes against Rohit, considering India can’t catch a break from a pressing schedule. But he is also known to step up to the game when required, especially in ICC events. Key here would be how he chooses to see the rest of this white-ball season — as two different series or an uninterrupted sequence.

One-dayers give batters the opportunity to pause and reset but Rohit tends to deny himself that luxury. This series, thus, might be the last chance for him to move closer to where he has been, and must be.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma Advised Against Desperation During Difficult Times: 'Excessive Practice Can Be Detrimental'

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