IND vs AUS, Perth Test: Are India missing captain Rohit Sharma? Batting collapse sparks debate, memes explode
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Nov 22, 2024, 11:57 AM ISTThe Indian cricket team’s decision to bat first in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Perth backfired on Friday, as they crawled to a dismal 51 for 4 at lunch on day one.
The Indian cricket team’s decision to bat first in the opening Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Perth backfired on Friday, as they crawled to a dismal 51 for 4 at lunch on day one. The day’s performance raised questions not only about the team’s approach to conditions but also about whether they were missing their captain, Rohit Sharma, who is absent from the first Test.
Jasprit Bumrah, leading India in Rohit’s absence, made the surprising call to bat first, despite the early-season seam movement and extra bounce expected at Optus Stadium. This decision, combined with some questionable shot selection and poor execution, put India on the back foot right from the start.
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The Indian top-order crumbled under pressure, with only KL Rahul (26 off 74 balls) offering any real resistance. Rahul displayed solid technique and admirable temperament, but was dismissed just before lunch, further derailing India's innings. Youngsters Yashasvi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal, replacing Shubman Gill, looked out of their depth against the Australian pacers. Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck after misjudging the bounce of Mitchell Starc’s delivery, while Padikkal also departed for a duck to Josh Hazlewood.
Virat Kohli, continuing his run of poor form, also fell early, caught behind off Hazlewood for just 5 runs. As the team headed to the break with Rishabh Pant (10) and Dhruv Jurel (4) at the crease, social media was flooded with mixed reactions, with many questioning the absence of captain Rohit Sharma, who is expected to join the team on Sunday.
Rohit, who stayed back in India for the birth of his second child, is due to join the squad in Perth on the third day of the Test. His absence has sparked a wave of debate, with fans and cricket pundits on social media speculating on whether Rohit’s presence might have steadied the ship.
Here's a look at some of the reactions and memes that exploded on X following India's top-order collapse:
Rohit Sharma😭 pic.twitter.com/hVoCWNQaJr
— Pulkit🇮🇳 (@pulkit5Dx)Team India is missing opener Rohit Sharma in this match. The way he used to give a strong start on these tricky Australian pitches is something we can actually rely on in this BGT 🙏.
pic.twitter.com/q7cWvDWRNI
Meanwhile Rohit Sharma 🙃 pic.twitter.com/2Vg0mzkZls
— Pradeep Mittal (@Aap_Ka_Mittal)Rohit Sharma fans Rn : pic.twitter.com/78vQJdYqhY
— Ipul 😹 (@gujjuallrounder)How are we feeling Rohit Sharma nation pic.twitter.com/9NQoZqsegJ
— Rudra Shashank (@AloneRudra2)Rohit Sharma watching Indian batting pic.twitter.com/nXWm75crw7
— A.J. (@beingabhi2712)Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli 🤡 pic.twitter.com/i3epoKNgfW
— gk singh (@gksingh264)What do you think about Rohit Sharma? And how he’s gonna perform in this series?
Considering he needs to work a lot on his technique and pitches are gonna be tough and bouncy…
Its high time India should start searching for next Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
15 yrs back we had Kohli for Sachin, Pujara for Dravid, Ajinkya for Lakshman, Rohit &Dhawan for Sehwag & Gambhir
today nobody seems who can replace Kohli and Rohit
Rohit Sharma struggled against pacers in India in recent Test series vs Bangladesh & New Zealand & you expect him to do well on these wickets? Very optimistic I must say.
— Vipul Ghatol 🇮🇳 (@Vipul_Espeaks)Rohit Sharma Bach gya 😹😹 pic.twitter.com/lK0WAqIiGf
— veer (@itwasnotme___)Wasim Akram ; India playing defensive cricket, Kohli should played a little bit aggressive and motivate others too...
Ravi Shastri ; He is not Rohit sharma😹,Today India gonna miss his instant start and captaincy !! pic.twitter.com/MORu5w5DPZ
India ka score dikh liye pic.twitter.com/Voi0yzlF70
— Rohit Sharma (@RohitSh46207655)Manjrekar : Team is in transition and don't forget they are playing without captain Rohit Sharma
Mark Nicholas : Rohit's record in Australia isn't good at all 😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/x5JUonAZhs
Now Rohit Sharma is not there
India won the toss and they are now 76/6
Can't blame Bumrah, we all know this pathetic decision of Batting first was of Gautam Gambhir. This guy is on a mission to destroy Indian team. pic.twitter.com/Ym1b9huCLg
Laut aao Captain Rohit Sharma Sahab. Barbad kar diya Chokli ne 💔 pic.twitter.com/XW1K0Ty2Je
— 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝕏 (@ImRobert64)Batting collapse is the major issue in Indian cricket but still all the loss blame were put on Captain Rohit Sharma in NZ series. He was so humble and kind that he agreed to take full responsibility.
I wish he had a toxic PR like mdc Kohli.🙂💔 pic.twitter.com/A4VW7yLfaP
Best batter of all time miss u rohit sharma 🥺❤️ pic.twitter.com/8P6PzibL6y
— Vishesh45👑🚩 (@rohitians__)
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