Indian captain Rohit Sharma is currently going through a lot of criticism due to his dip in form with the bat and captaincy. The Indian team suffered a 184-run loss at the hands of Australia in the fourth Test played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the series is currently led by the Australian team by a margin of 2-1. The Indian team will now want to win the fifth Test set to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground to level the series. Rohit has been only able to score 31 runs in the five innings he has played in the series as of now and has got out cheaply throughout the series.

Also Read: Rohit Sharma Equals Sachin Tendulkar’s Record Following Loss In Melbourne Test

Irfan Pathan Miffed With Rohit Sharma

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan while speaking to Star Sports stated that the Rohit Sharma wouldn’t have been playing in the XI if he wouldn’t have been the captain of the side. He said, “A player who has made about 20,000 runs—yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all. What’s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team. K.L. Rahul would have been playing at the top. Jaiswal would have been there. Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI.”

Also Read: ‘He Needs To Understand’ – Rohit Sharma Miffed With Rishabh Pant’s Dismissal In Melbourne Test

Further speaking in the conversation, Irfan Pathan opined that if Rohit Sharma wouldn’t have been the captain then the management would have roped in other in-form players at the top of the order. He said, “A player who has made about 20,000 runs—yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all. What’s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team. K.L. Rahul would have been playing at the top. Jaiswal would have been there. Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI.”

The IND vs AUS 5th Test will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3.