Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden urged Indian captain Rohit Sharma to bring more energy and aggression to his batting as the tourists face a challenging task in the ongoing third Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane.
After a disastrous collapse of India’s top order on Day 3, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will need to forge a long partnership if the defending Border-Gavaskar Trophy champions are to make a comeback in the ongoing Gabba Test against the mighty Australians.
Matthew Hayden urges Rohit Sharma to bring energy and aggression to crucial Gabba Test
Australia set India a huge target by posting 445 runs in their first innings, but the tourists’ batting line-up crumbled under the pressure at The Gabba. Top Indian batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant failed to make significant contributions against Australia.
Also read: ‘You have to be practical’: Sunil Gavaskar demands an end to Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressive approach
With the Indian cricket team still losing 394 runs against Australia, Matthew Hayden emphasized the need for Rohit Sharma to approach his innings with more energy, something that has been missing in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
The cricket expert urged Rohit to play with great energy and intent at least for his own sake, saying that the Indian captain needs to bring back his old avatar to lift his team out of the precarious situation in the ongoing Gabba Test against Australia.
When I think of him, I think of a free-scoring hitter: Matthew Hayden
Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports: “When I think of Rohit Sharma, I think of a free-scoring batsman. We look at those double hundreds in one-day cricket, their magnificence in the short formats. Simply for Rohit Sharma’s sake, he needs to have great intent and energy around him. When I think about Adelaide’s first game here in a long time, it was a bit slow. I would tell him as a teammate, “I really don’t want to see you defend the ball here.”
Also read: “‘Speaking out’ is one of the biggest misnomers”: Rohit Sharma & Co. criticized for failing to bat in Brisbane
I want him to be very reactive on the ball, really willing to fight, because his natural game will flow. Energy and intention will bring the front foot much further towards the ball. Rohit, what I want you to do, my brother, is play with great energy and intention, and I would have those as two words that maybe trigger what he thinks about during his preparation.”
Matthew Hayden urges Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to build key partnership for India’s Gabba Test comeback
Meanwhile, the former Australian opener also emphasized the importance of a strong partnership between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to help India recover from their difficult situation in the ongoing crucial third Test against Australia at The Gabba.
Both players need to build a solid foundation for India to bounce back in the match. Rohit, however, is under pressure due to his recent batting woes and his controversial decision to bowl first after winning the toss in Brisbane.
Despite the criticism, Hayden believes that the Indian captain has a great chance to prove himself, both as captain and batsman in Brisbane, as a strong and aggressive performance from Rohit could not only turn things around for India but also lift morality. of the team and its followers.