India captain Rohit Sharma addressed Virat Kohli’s struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia. At a press conference on Tuesday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rohit responded with laughter when asked about Kohli’s form in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The Indian captain expressed confidence that the modern-day great would find a way to overcome this rough patch with the bat, saying “Kohli's off stump.... You only said he is a modern-day great. Modern-day greats figure out their way or the path.”
Rohit himself has also struggled for runs in Test cricket this year. In-swinging deliveries have caused him difficulty. His decision not to open the batting in the last two Tests has also added to his concerns.
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"Let's not worry about that. I think 'who bats where?' is something that we need to figure out within ourselves. It's not something I should be discussing at every press conference. Whatever it takes for our team to look good or gives the best chance to succeed, we will do that," Rohit said.
Despite a century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, Kohli has been dismissed repeatedly by deliveries outside the off-stump in this series. Australian bowlers Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins have troubled Kohli with a mix of good-length and fuller-length deliveries.
The series is currently tied 1-1 with the fourth Test set to begin on December 26. As India prepares for the Boxing Day Test, all eyes will be on Kohli, Rohit and the young players to deliver a strong performance against Australia.
