Dinesh Karthik has weighed in on Rohit Sharma’s dismissal against Tim Southee on Day 1 of the second Test between India and New Zealand at the MCA Stadium in Pune, stating that the Indian captain’s mode of dismissal was avoidable. Rohit Sharma, who failed to get off the mark in India’s first innings, has often struggled against Tim Southee, who has now dismissed him 14 times across all formats, the joint-most by any bowler along with South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.
Dinesh Karthik, speaking on Cricbuzz, highlighted Rohit Sharma’s ongoing issues against Tim Southee, especially when the ball is swinging. “The ball was swinging a bit, and Tim Southee has had Rohit Sharma’s number quite a few times in international cricket. If you look at the stats, he has dismissed him 14 times now. That gives Tim Southee an edge, and Rohit Sharma knows it. He was trying to be cautious and came out defensive,” Dinesh Karthik said.
However, Dinesh Karthik, who retired from Indian cricket earlier this year, was critical of how Rohit Sharma handled the delivery that led to his dismissal. “It was a stock delivery from Tim Southee, nothing extraordinary. Yes, it swung a little from the stumps, but that is what international bowlers do. Rohit Sharma got out to a ball that he should not have. It might have looked like a good delivery on screen, but the way Rohit Sharma defended was not ideal for that kind of ball,” Dinesh Karthik remarked.
Rohit Sharma’s troubles in Test cricket have been evident recently, with the Indian captain struggling to find consistency. Since his half-century in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand earlier this year, Rohit Sharma has managed to score in single digits in five out of seven innings. His dismissal in Pune continues a worrying trend, especially as he has been India’s key player at the top of the order.
Dinesh Karthik’s analysis further elaborated on the technique used by Rohit Sharma, suggesting that his defensive approach to the swinging delivery wasn’t the right one. “He played the ball rather badly. His defense was not the best way to handle that delivery, especially from someone like Tim Southee, who knows how to exploit even the smallest weaknesses.”
Rohit Sharma’s poor form in Tests, especially against quality bowlers like Tim Southee, is becoming a point of concern for India as they continue their series against Tom Latham’s New Zealand. As the series progresses, all eyes will be on Rohit Sharma to see if he can turn his form around and find his rhythm in the longer format of the game.
