AUS vs IND, Boxing Day Test: Rohit Sharma confirms 'knee is fine', keeps batting position under wraps (WATCH)
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test, India captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday downplayed concerns about the knee injury he sustained during practice, assuring that he was fine.
FollowAhead of the Boxing Day Test, India captain Rohit Sharma on Tuesday downplayed concerns about the knee injury he sustained during practice, assuring that he was fine. However, he kept fans guessing about his batting position.
Rohit had suffered a blow to his left knee during a training session at the MCG on Sunday, sparking speculation about the severity of the injury.
"My knee is fine," said Rohit during a media interaction ahead of the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne from December 26.
Rohit Sharma missed the opening Test in Australia to be with his family for the birth of his second child. While he was initially expected to reclaim his spot as an opener, KL Rahul’s impressive knock of 77 in India’s victory at Perth led to a reshuffle in the batting order, with the skipper moving down to No. 6.
However, the change hasn’t worked out well for Rohit, who has scored just 10, 3, and 6 runs in his last three innings. Meanwhile, Rahul has made the most of his opportunity, scoring a brilliant 84 in the first innings of the third Test at Brisbane.
Rohit emphasized that he is willing to do whatever is best for the team.
"Let's not worry about who bats where. Something that we need to figure and not something I would be discussing here. We will do what is best for the team," Rohit added.
Addressing Virat Kohli’s form and his perceived struggles outside the off-stump, Rohit Sharma expressed confidence that the seasoned batter will overcome his slump.
"Kohli's off stump... you only say modern day great. Modern-day greats figure out their own path," said the skipper.
Kohli had showcased his class with a century in the second innings of the Perth Test, which India won despite being bowled out for 150 in the first innings.
However, Kohli's recent outings have been underwhelming, with scores of 7 and 11 in the second Test, which Australia won by 10 wickets to level the series, and just 3 in the drawn third Test at Brisbane.
Young opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, too, has struggled to replicate his success after a match-winning 161 in the first Test. Rohit, however, assured that Jaiswal will be encouraged to continue playing his natural, free-flowing style.
"You don't want to tamper Jaiswal's mindset. He understands his batting more than anyone of us. You encourage him to play freely," Rohit said.
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