After India’s disappointing eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in Bengaluru, Captain Rohit Sharma found himself at the center of a social media storm, as fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustrations, dubbing him “Clueless Rohit Sharma.” The defeat not only marked Indiaโs first loss at home after six consecutive wins but also raised concerns about their World Test Championship prospects. ๐
The Match Breakdown ๐
- Batting Collapse: India struggled significantly in both innings:
- First Innings: The team was bowled out for a historic low of 46 runs at home. ๐ซ
- Second Innings: Despite a strong start at 408 for 3, they collapsed to 462 all out within 15.3 overs.
- Captain’s Admission: Rohit acknowledged his misjudgment regarding the Chinnaswamy track, which had been under covers due to rain. Opting to bat first and fielding three spinners turned out to be tactical blunders.
Fans React on Social Media ๐ฌ
Following the defeat, fans took to social media to compare Rohitโs captaincy with that of Virat Kohli, highlighting that under Kohli, India lost only two Tests in 31 matches from 2015 to 2021. In contrast, Rohit has already overseen three losses in just 14 Tests since taking over in 2022. This led to a fierce debate among fans, with many calling for a change in leadership. ๐
โUnder Kohli, we dominated. Whatโs going wrong now?โ one fan tweeted.
Tactical Critiques ๐
Experts criticized Rohit’s decisions during the match:
- Bowling Choices: He reportedly underutilized veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin while over-bowling Mohammed Siraj, who appeared to struggle. โ๏ธ
Rohit’s Optimism ๐
Despite the setback, Rohit expressed confidence in a potential comeback:
โNew Zealand bowled well and challenged us. But games like this happen. Weโll take the positives and move forward. We know whatโs needed from each of us for the upcoming matches.โ
He remains hopeful for a turnaround similar to their previous series against England. ๐ช
Whenever India wins a match, the captain Rohit Sharma always walks at the back but today when the team has lost, he is at the front and has kept the team behind him.๐ซกโค๏ธ๐ฎ๐ณ #INDvsNZ
— ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ข๐ขโดโต (@rushiii_12) October 20, 2024
The true leader of India @ImRo45 ๐ pic.twitter.com/Hm3OIHp4of
Conclusion ๐
As the cricketing world debates Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, the focus now shifts to the next matches in the series. Can India bounce back and secure their place in the World Test Championship? Only time will tell! โณโจ