India skipper Rohit Sharma has come under scrutiny after the team’s 10-wicket defeat against Australia in the pink-ball Test match at the Adelaide Oval.
Rohit, who missed out on the series opener at Perth due to paternity leave, managed to score just nine runs across the two innings of the second Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test.
Moreover, Sharma drew flak for his captaincy decisions, especially his use of bowling resources. R Ashwin was underutilized on Day 1, while Jasprit Bumrah was not brought on at key moments to take advantage of critical situations.
Speaking at an event on Monday (December 9), legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev addressed the concerns surrounding Rohit’s captaincy and recent performances.
The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper highlighted the challenges of leading a team and insisted that it is unfair to question a captain based on one or two poor performances.
"I think he doesn't have to prove himself. He has done it for many, many years, Rohit. So let's not doubt somebody. I won't doubt him, and I hope his form will come back. That's more important. With one performance or two performances, you start doubting somebody's captaincy, someone who has done so well," Kapil said, as quoted by TOI.
“I think six months back, when he won the T20 World Cup, you wouldn't have asked me this question. So that's what I want to say. Let it go. Let's see. If he keeps on not performing well, he won't be there. But knowing his ability and talent, he will bounce back,” he added.
While it might be a temporary measure, Rohit Sharma moved down to No. 6 for the pink-ball Test to allow KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal to continue opening. However, the decision backfired as he couldn’t reach double digits in both innings.
On a separate note, Kapil Dev dismissed questions about team selection, particularly the choice of Harshit Rana over Akash Deep.
"I am nobody (to judge). How can I judge the people who are sitting there and carrying the responsibility? If you are asking me, you are trying to spoil the system. We should not talk about it. We should just focus on whether he is playing well or not. That’s all we can see. How can I judge why they picked him? I’m not in that position, and my former colleagues are the ones sitting there. I trust they will do a good job," he remarked.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is currently tied at 1-1, with the third Test scheduled to be held in Brisbane from December 14.
(With TOI Inputs)
