Rohit Sharma’s strengths have become weaknesses; can he turn it around at Cuttack in second ODI against England?

The affable absorption to the information that lone a solitary T20I has been played astatine the venue since the past ODI present successful 2019 is, of course, rooted successful the pridefulness of their location venue. The concern isn’t wholly antithetic wrong the stadium, wherever a seasoned section media person, “Munna saab”, echoes a akin sentiment. “Kya baat kar rahe ho bhai? There person been truthful galore planetary games present since then. The past 1 was successful 2022 but this is not the archetypal ODI since 2019,” helium said, refusing to admit the grounds books.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma with Gautam Gambhir. (AP news)

India skipper Rohit Sharma ran a akin strain of stubbornness earlier this week arsenic helium addressed concerns astir his signifier earlier the archetypal ODI successful Nagpur. An unusually miffed Rohit would entity to mixing formats, affirming this is “a antithetic format, a antithetic time.”

But with his wrists and eyes failing him early, tempting him to a escaped spot that was gulped down by the mid-wicket fielder for 2 runs astatine his hometown connected Thursday, a tentative Rohit volition cognize his downtime tin lone beryllium flipped by a decisive people successful the 2nd ODI against England astatine the Barabati connected Sunday afternoon.

Swanked by the Mahanadi delta waters from 3 directions, the Barabati’s surroundings signifier a cruel metaphor for Rohit’s distending concerns against the red, pink, and achromatic balls wrong his past six competitory outings.

Form and the 3 formats whitethorn not person a coagulated binding similar Rohit suggested, but a recurring signifier of dismissals successful which helium falls caught wrong the interior ellipse volition play connected the backmost of his mind.

Since the Wankhede Test against New Zealand past year, six of his 10 dismissals crossed conditions person occurred astatine the outgo of trademark Rohit strokes – the flick and the propulsion – wrong the 30-yard marker. England pacer Saqib Mahmood dealt the latest stroke with an inswinger that swerved past the leg-stump. Rohit’s half-hearted chip, lacking condemnation and power, landed consecutive successful Liam Livingstone’s hands, marking a 3rd dismissal of the benignant astatine mid-wicket since November 2024.

Committing excessively aboriginal oregon reacting precocious to deliveries connected length, Rohit’s perils person besides witnessed poorly-timed flicks oregon pulls edged to the gaffe cordon, mid-off, and mid-on fielders.

For a batter who had erstwhile remarked being “pumped up” astatine the imaginable of facing the archetypal ball, the deficiency of clarity whitethorn person prevented Rohit from taking defender against the opening transportation for the archetypal clip since August 2019 successful the erstwhile outing.

“If you look astatine it from Rohit’s constituent of view, past obviously, it is frustrating for him,” erstwhile India spinner R Ashwin reflected connected Rohit connected his YouTube channel.

“He thinks that helium has done good successful the format (ODI) and he’d similar to proceed that. It’s a catch-22 situation. You can’t halt these questions. When volition they stop? When helium performs,” Ashwin added.

Kohli in, who’s out?

While the batting conundrum persists, Rohit volition besides person to incorporate a insignificant spill-over from the enactment standpoint aft Shreyas Iyer’s earnest post-match chat successful Nagpur. Iyer’s admittance that helium would person been benched for Yashasvi Jaiswal had Virat Kohli not turned up injured for the archetypal ODI raised eyebrows portion offering different peek into the existent management’s steadfast accent connected the left-right batting combination.

With Kohli recovering from his close genu swelling and sweating it retired earlier an unusually jam-packed assemblage successful the stands for Saturday’s signifier session, it volition beryllium absorbing if Rohit and Co. proceed with the Jaiswal strategy upfront astatine the disbursal of an in-form Iyer.

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli. (AP news)

“The lefty-righty operation decidedly has to beryllium determination but that’s a determination for the caput manager and skipper to take,” batting manager Sitanshu Kotak said with cautiously constructed words connected lucifer eve.

Turning up for his archetypal white-ball crippled successful six months aft a lowly red-ball agelong similar Rohit, Kohli excessively would beryllium raring to regain the spirits from his beloved 50-over format. Cuttack has offered akin jump-starts to ageing units successful the past too. The 2017 clash betwixt India and England astatine this venue proved decisive successful reviving aged warhorses Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni successful the moving for different Champions Trophy. As Yuvraj romped to his highest people (150), Dhoni, caller from relinquishing captaincy, scored his last ODI ton that evening.

History throws up hope. But Rohit has a heightened situation – “catch 22” arsenic Ashwin puts it – successful overcoming his existent method deficiencies portion besides handling tactical curveballs similar the Shreyas Iyer/left-hander situation.

Rohit’s caller pull-flick dismissals

IND v NZ 3rd Test – Caught astatine mid-wicket for 11

IND v AUS – 4th Test – Leading borderline to mid-on for 3

IND v AUS – 4th Test – Flick edged to gaffe for 9

Ranji Trophy 1st innings vs J&K – Leading borderline disconnected propulsion to mid-off for 3

Ranji Trophy 2nd innings vs J&K– Attempted flick to mid-wicket for 28

IND v ENG 1st ODI – Mistimed flick to mid-wicket for 2