Fans troll India’s skipper Rohit Sharma for his flop show against England on Day 1 of 2nd Test

• Rohit Sharma fell prey to debutant England spinner Shoaib Bashir on Day 1 of the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
• Rohit managed to score only 14 runs in 41 balls.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma‘s  struggles in Test cricket persisted as he fell prey to debutant England spinner Shoaib Bashir in the early stages of Day 1 of the ongoing second Test in Visakhapatnam.

Cautious start from Team India openers

Winning the toss, the Indian opening pair of Yashasvi Jaiswal (51 not out) and Rohit adopted a cautious approach on a seemingly benign surface. The duo successfully navigated through the initial hour of play, emphasizing the value of preserving their wickets as they added 40 runs for the first wicket in 17.3 overs. However, Rohit’s resilience came to an end through a soft dismissal.

Rohit Sharma falls prey to debutant Shoaib Bashir

Bashir, drafted into the playing XI as a replacement for the injured Jack Leach, made an impact in the 12th over after Joe Root and James Anderson initiated the proceedings with the new ball.

In only his fourth over, Bashir’s off-break deceived the well-settled Rohit. Bashir maintained a tight line against the right-handed batter, affording him minimal room to maneuver. Rohit, attempting a glance against the turning ball, ended up guiding it straight into the hands of leg slip fielder Ollie Pope. Rohit departed for 14 runs off 41 deliveries, with no boundaries in his innings, restrained by Anderson and the finger spinners.

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Rohit’s Vishakhapatnam legacy takes a hit

Rohit has consistently demonstrated an impressive track record in Vishakhapatnam across different formats. This venue holds particular significance as it witnessed his initiation as an opener in red-ball cricket. In the 2019 Test against South Africa at this ground, Rohit registered twin centuries, solidifying his position in the longest format of the game. Nevertheless, the streak of scoring a second consecutive hundred at this venue concluded today with his dismissal.

With Shubman Gill departing after a brisk 34, Team India is in a rebuilding phase, currently positioned at 103/2 after 31 overs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer at the crease.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Rohit was playing the young newbi spinners like they were lobbing grenades at him.

Trying to bat like Pujara. But everyone has to know their Svadharma and play according to it. Being ultra defensive is not the only option against reckless disregard. Our chaps have forgotten…

— Arun Krishnan 🇮🇳 (@ArunKrishnan_) February 2, 2024

In a nutshell Rohit Sharma is a Dara hua captain and his fear is reflecting upon the team. I hope someone will bail things out.#INDvsENG

— Bikram Pratap Singh (@bikram123) February 2, 2024

Can a spin debutante do better than pick Rohit Sharma in India as his first wicket! A more substantive question: where and when did this Indian team lost the fearlessness that made them world beaters?

— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) February 2, 2024

Once again, Rohit has thrown away his wicket easily.

Can't believe out of all players how come He always falls for the trap in test cricket be it on short balls or this.

— Aditya Saha (@Adityakrsaha) February 2, 2024

Bache ne out kar diya Rohit ko… really poor start by Captain again… I was expecting a huge score from him today… rohit is also the senior most…hopefully 2nd innings he will fire #RohitSharma #IndVsEng @indiatvnews #Indiatvcricket youtube

— Samip Rajguru (@samiprajguru) February 2, 2024

Rohit Sharma is done…..how do you get out to someone who has taken only 10 wickets in his first class career

— yang goi (@GongR1ght) February 2, 2024

Rebuilding phase

Currently in a rebuilding phase after the dismissals of Rohit and Shubman Gill, Team India finds themselves at 103/2 after 31 overs. Gill, who played a brisk knock of 34, also departed before the lunch. The batting duo of Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer ( 4 not out) is now at the crease, aiming to steady the innings in the second session.