Rohit Sharma faces sharp criticism from Shastri and Kartik, who claim his captaincy has been revealed as lacking, just as New Zealand prepares to take on India

Rohit Sharma’s captaincy has come under intense scrutiny from former cricketers Ravi Shastri and Murali Kartik as New Zealand inches closer to a historic series victory over India. The criticism intensified following India’s shocking performance in the first Test in Bengaluru, where Rohit acknowledged a significant misjudgment in reading the pitch and conditions. This miscalculation led to India’s lowest-ever home total and marked their first loss to New Zealand in 36 years.

The situation deteriorated further in the second Test, where Rohit’s defensive tactics on Day 1 in Pune drew sharp rebukes from cricketing legends including Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull. As New Zealand continued to dominate, questions about Rohit’s leadership have only intensified, with many calling for a reassessment of his captaincy as the team faces potential defeat in the series.

New Zealand openers Tom Latham and Devon Conway played aggressively, employing a range of shots, including sweeps on both sides, to disrupt the spinners’ rhythm. However, Rohit quickly responded by removing nearly all close-in fielders after just a couple of overs. Murali Kartik remarked during the commentary, “I’m surprised by how New Zealand’s intent and focus on singles have led to the scattering of fielders around the bat. There’s only Rohit Sharma at first slip, while the other fielder is positioned to protect the single.” At that point, New Zealand was off to a solid start at 25 without loss in the sixth over.