Veteran India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik felt Rohit Sharma missed a trick, as Australia put up 255/4 against India on Day 1 of the ongoing fourth and final Test at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Thursday (March 9).
However, Karthik said Rohit did well for large part of the day, but he feels the Indian skipper missed a trick in the closing stages of the day, as Usman Khawaja’s maiden hundred on Indian soil put the Australian team in a strong position.
Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz: “I liked it for the large part of the day. He was proactive in field placings. He didn't use the usual method of keeping silly point, short leg. There wasn't a single bat pad and the ball didn't lob up or anything. He kept things tight consistently. After the first hour, he pulled it back, got 4 wickets. Then during that middle phase when Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja were playing, he held it tight and didn't give them easy boundaries.”
Meanwhile, the veteran cricketer also questioned Rohit's decision to take the new ball in the final session when the spinners looked settled.
He further questioned Rohit’s handling of Akshar Patel, who bowled only 12 overs while R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja bowled 25 and 20 overs, respectively.
Karthik said: “But I think him taking the new ball at that stage wasn't a great decision. In the hindsight he should have looked back and said 'Should I have bowled 9 overs with it? Or maybe 4-5? That is one. And second. Axar Patel is a very interesting case study in Rohit Sharma's captaincy so far.”
He signed off by saying, “He's got 2 pillars of Indian cricket in Jadeja and Ashwin and he is giving them a large volume of overs. But where is Axar Patel in the mix - the third spinner? We have seen him do well with the new ball; at least if you've taken the new ball, could he have taken the opportunity to bowl with it? He's got bounce, it's his home conditions.”
