Former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin feels that it’s a “catch-22 situation” for India Rohit Sharma, who is struggling for runs. Rohit scored just two runs in the first ODI against England in Nagpur on his return to international cricket after a month.
Ashwin said that people will ask questions about Rohit’s form and the only Indian way skipper can silence his critics by scoring runs ahead of the upcoming Champions Trophy.
Rohit has scored just 166 runs in his last 16 innings across formats. It will be interesting to see how he performs in the second ODI against England, which will be played in Cuttack on Sunday.
“This is not easy. If you look at it from Rohit’s point of view, then obviously, it is frustrating for him. He wants to concentrate on the series. He thinks that I’ve done well in this format and I’d like to continue,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“I’m going into the tournament with a lot of confidence on the back of the One-Day tournaments that I’ve played. But people will ask questions. The ones who are watching will obviously ask. It’s a catch-22 situation.
You can’t stop these questions. When will they stop? When he performs. But as a cricketer, I understand what Rohit is going through. It’s not easy. I pray that he does well and scores a century in this series,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ashwin lauded for Ravindra Jadeja while insisting that the all-rounder was “more gifted” than him.
In the first ODI in Nagpur, Jadeja returned with impressive figures of 3 for 26 from his nine overs and later remained unbeaten on 12 off 10 balls while chasing the target.
“Our media fails to appreciate when a player does well. Whenever we lose, everyone becomes a villain. He dismissed Joe Root. Jadeja goes always under the radar. He is a ‘Jackpot Jango’. He is +10 in the field, also bowls well and bats in pressure situations as well. We don’t give Jadeja enough credit,” he said.
“Jadeja is way more gifted than I ever can. He is a born athlete. His major advantages lie in his physical fitness. He is naturally fit. Even at this age, he can cover the entire area from long on to deep square leg while standing at mid-wicket. I wouldn’t be surprised. And I will be more than happy for him,” he added.
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