Rohit Sharma faced yet another embarrassment ahead of the must-win Boxing Day Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 between India and Australia at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne, starting on December 26.
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has been struggling for form with the bat since earlier this year, and his challenges have continued during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia. His dry spell with the bat has led to significant criticism, with some former cricketers and experts even questioning the skipper’s place in India’s playing XI.
Rohit Sharma clean bowled by Devdutt Padikkal in practice ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG
Amid the noise, a clip from the Indian cricket team’s practice session in Melbourne has sparked fresh outrage among the fans for the Hitman. In the viral video, India’s part-time spinner Devdutt Padikkal is seen delivering an off-spin ball that completely deceived Rohit Sharma during the nets session in Melbourne.
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The ball sneaked under the bat, hitting the stumps, surprising one and all at the nets. Devdutt Padikkal delivered a ball that Rohit Sharma stepped slightly forward to defend, but it stayed low and slipped past him and struck the stumps, and clean bowled the Indian captain.
The clip has been widely going viral on social media, and it has only added to the chatter around the Indian skipper’s performance and technique in challenging conditions ahead of the much-anticipated Boxing Day Test—the fourth Test of the ongoing BGT 2024-25—against Australia.
Rohit sharma is now getting out to Devdut Padikkal in nets. 😹pic.twitter.com/BQ3R0ln8ju
— *Roe Joot 😎🇮🇳* (Retired ICT Fan) (@ImGani22) December 22, 2024
Social Media reacts to Rohit Sharma’s shocking batting
One user reacted to the video by saying, “Oh my Gawd… he is done for here… so embarrassing. Another person commented, “He demonstrated selflessness in this situation.” He didn’t want to discourage the youngster, so he got out”. A fan wrote in the comment box, “Padikkal can be made into an all-rounder if he wishes and practices for it,” while another user said, “Shame on the management team for blindly supporting Rohit Sharma.” One fan posted, ‘He’s doing shame, shame.”
Notably, Padikkal, who is a batting specialist, has been practicing his off-spin regularly, offering valuable variety during team drills on the ongoing Australia tour. He played in the first Test in Perth but didn’t perform well with the bat, resulting in losing his place to Shubman Gill, who replaced him.
The training session might also show Gautam Gambhir’s idea of using India’s batters more as bowlers. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma’s batting performance in 2024 raised concerns when you look at the numbers. In 24 Test innings this year, the seasoned right-handed batter has managed only 607 runs, with a disappointing average of 26.39 so far.
Rohit Sharma faces an injury scare ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia
Notably, Rohit faced an injury scare during India’s practice session at the MCG on Sunday, December 22. While facing throwdowns, the Indian skipper took a painful hit on his left knee as he missed a pull shot. The ball went through the flap of his pad, striking his knee.
However, Rohit continued batting for a bit, but he eventually needed physio attention and decided to rest his leg. He sat down, applied an ice pack, and took a break for about 30 minutes.