The Rohit Sharma-led Indian cricket team is gearing up for the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), starting December 26. The five-match Test series has been enthralling so far, with India taking an early lead after winning the first Test in Perth.
Australia bounced back in the second Test with a strong performance in Adelaide, claiming a one-sided victory in the Day-Night Test to level the ongoing five-match Test series against India. The third Test in Brisbane ended in a draw due to rain, leaving the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 tied 1-1.
Rohit Sharma leads India’s intense nets session ahead of the crucial Boxing Day Test at MCG
Now, the fourth Test in Melbourne is a must-win game for both teams to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. With a spot in the ICC WTC 2023–25 final at stake, India faces extra pressure to secure a win and stay in contention for the championship.
As both India and Australia gear up for the crucial Boxing Day Test, Captain Rohit Sharma was seen sweating it out at the nets in Melbourne ahead of the crucial fourth Test. The Indian skipper has been struggling to find his rhythm in the ongoing series, with only 19 runs to his name across three innings.
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He has been facing challenges against incoming deliveries in the ongoing Test series. During an intense net session, Rohit Sharma was focused on refining his techniques, particularly against incoming deliveries as well as deliveries near the off-side or in the fourth-stump channel.
The seasoned Indian right-handed batter had an extended one-and-a-half-hour nets session, where he looked more composed, adjusting his stance and maintaining better control over his bat movement.
Rohit Sharma confronts fan with confidence during India’s nets session
Rohit started with throwdowns before moving on to face pace bowlers Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna, along with spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, at the nets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday, December 21.
During his nets session, an enthusiastic fan shouted, “Rohit six maar (Rohit, hit a six!)” and it caught the Indian captain’s attention at the MCG. Rohit paused, glanced up, and asked, “Who said that? He then added, “You want a six?” After the brief exchange, Rohit continued his batting session, according to a report in TOI.
Then, the Indian captain calmly defended the next delivery, but the way Rohit responded to the fan, he sent a clear message to those watching that they won’t entertain any distractions or any repeat of past controversies like in Adelaide.
The captain is in the gℝ𝕆ove! 🇮🇳
Will @ImRo45 deliver big at the #BoxingDayTest in Melbourne? 👀#AUSvINDOnStar 4th Test 👉 THU, 26th DEC, 4:30 AM pic.twitter.com/EiZNzZ4bQF
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) December 21, 2024
Abhishek Nayar has an intense conversation with Rohit Sharma at the MCG
On the other hand, India’s assistant coach, Abhishek Nayar, was seen having an intense conversation with Rohit Sharma, focusing on the captain’s batting technique and his dismissals in the series so far, according to the same report.
During the discussion, Rohit practiced his forward defense, which led to his dismissal in the Pink-Ball Test, and also worked on addressing his habit of playing loose shots outside off, which led to his downfall in Brisbane.
The conversation became more animated as Nayar highlighted areas for improvement, while Rohit was concentrating on the suggestion. Notably, apart from Rohit, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, and Shubman Gill, were also practicing at the nets for a long time at the MCG.