Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma’s lean run with the bat has sparked debate after another modest outing in the third and deciding ODI against New Zealand in Indore on Sunday. Rohit, who scored just 11 runs off 13 balls, continued a dip in form that has raised questions about his motivation as he enters the final phase of his international career.
Having retired from T20Is and Test cricket, Rohit is now active only in ODIs. While he was named Player of the Series during India’s ODI series against Australia last year, he has struggled to replicate that form in recent months. Against South Africa, Rohit managed 146 runs in three matches, but his output dropped sharply against New Zealand, where he scored only 61 runs across the three-game series.Rohit’s failure in the series decider prompted former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull to question whether the veteran still has a clear goal driving him. Speaking during commentary on Star Sports Network, Doull said: “I feel with Rohit, he’s always had something to chase, as in a goal in mind, whether it be a T20 World Cup, whether it be a 50-over World Cup. I just wonder, that 27 World Cup in South Africa, is that too far away? Does he have that real hunger? Maybe it’s just, I mean, it’s different every year, isn’t it? Because we’re building up. We seem to be building up as national sides, no matter who you are. Each year, you’re building up to a different format of an ICC event, aren’t you?“The last little while and coming up for the next two weeks, we’re building up to a T20 World Cup. So there’s very little one-day cricket played in the last four months and in the next three or four months. Next year, I’m guessing, or later this year and going into next year, there’ll be an absolute diet of 50-over cricket. “When you’re only playing one format, you don’t get huge amounts of opportunities. The next time he’s in the Indian uniform will be, what, July in the UK? It’s a long way away.”While Rohit endured a tough series, Virat Kohli stood out for India, finishing as the top scorer with 240 runs at an average of 80, including a century in the final ODI, though it came in a losing cause.
