Intriguing Statement From A Former India Star Before The WTC Final: "Rohit Sharma Was Out Of Form Last Year As Well."

About

     Rohit Sharma's performance is in doubt as India's cricket team prepares to face Australia in the World Test Championship final. Many are unsure if The Hitman would perform when facing Australia for the championship in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 after he had an unremarkable season for the Mumbai Indians. Sanjay Manjrekar, a former cricketer for India, disagrees that Rohit's IPL performance should even be taken into consideration as a cause for concern as India prepares for the Test assignment. 

     Despite the Mumbai Indians' IPL playoff eligibility, Rohit's batting performance didn't help the team much. The Hitman only managed to score 332 runs in 16 games, with an average of 20.75 and a strike rate of 132.80. Manjrekar, though, doesn't seem to care.

What he said

      "We watched the incredible batting he did in the first Test match against Australia, so put his IPL form aside because he appeared out of form in the most recent IPL as well. Test cricket, like it has always been for Virat Kohli, seems to be the most interesting format for Rohit Sharma at this point in his career," Manjrekar said on Star Sports. 

      "His batting in Test cricket has recently improved to almost faultlessness. There is only one issue that has come up in Test matches: occasionally, he gets out while playing the pull shot. They kept a fielder there while bowling him a short ball. That shot was made automatically," Manjrekar said.

Overview

      "His pull shot in ODI cricket is very intriguing, as you can see. To play the ball down, he lifts his back from the bottom rather than the top. He just scoops up the ball and the bat, then follows through by moving the bat behind his back to add power. He has a really low back lift," Manjrekar said. Starting on June 7, the Oval will host the WTC final.