India's captain, Rohit Sharma, has addressed the ongoing concerns regarding Virat Kohli's difficulties with deliveries outside the off stump. In a characteristic manner, Rohit first chuckled before responding to a reporter's inquiry about Kohli's performance in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Aside from his century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, Kohli has not displayed his usual form throughout this series. More troubling than his low scores is the pattern of his dismissals, which has raised significant alarm among Indian supporters.

The former captain has frequently fallen victim to deliveries targeting the outside off-stump line, a trend that has become increasingly worrying. Bowlers such as Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins have successfully challenged Kohli with a combination of good length and fuller deliveries directed outside the off stump.

Nevertheless, akin to the esteemed Sunil Gavaskar, Rohit remains confident that Kohli will eventually rediscover his scoring ability. "You mentioned he is a modern-day great. Such players will always find a way to navigate their challenges," Rohit stated during the press conference at the MCG on Tuesday.

With the Boxing Day Test just around the corner and the series tied at 1-1 after the initial three Tests, it is crucial for India's batsmen to step up and deliver.

Rohit tightlipped about India's batting order

Kohli is not the sole player facing challenges in Australia. The captain has also struggled significantly with his run-scoring in Test cricket this year. While Kohli has been affected by deliveries moving away, it is the in-swinging balls that have troubled Rohit. Additionally, his decision not to open the batting in the last two Tests has further complicated his situation.

"Let us not dwell on the batting order. The question of 'who bats where?' is something we need to resolve internally. It is not a topic I should address at every press conference. We will do whatever is necessary for our team to perform well and maximize our chances of success," Rohit stated.

When inquired about Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, Rohit emphasized that the team management aims to avoid overwhelming them with excessive concerns.

"As I mentioned, all these young players—Rishabh, Gill, Jaiswal—are in a similar position. We do not wish to complicate their roles. They understand what is expected of them.

"Our responsibility is to engage with them on minor aspects such as match awareness. I believe we do not need to provide additional instructions that could complicate matters," he added.

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