Ricky Ponting
Rohit Sharma has been facing the heat for throwing away his wicket on Day 2 of the fourth and final Test against Australia. Many former players and fans slammed Rohit's irresponsible shot at The Gabba. While trying to clear the rope off Nathan Lyon's delivery, Rohit gave the ball straight to mid-on fielder, Mitchell Starc.
Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting has also hopped on the bandwagon. Ponting said that the Indian vice-captain needs to do better if he needs to be a consistent Test match batsman.
"It's easy to say that's the way he plays but you've got to be better than that," cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.
"If you want to be a really good, consistent Test match batsman you can't just be going and throwing what could have been such a promising innings away like he did," he added.
Rohit was looking in good touch and six runs short of his half-century when he had to walk back. After Rohit's departure, the Ajinkya Rahane-Cheteshwar Pujara duo stuck in the middle until stumps as India finished at 62/2. Earlier, Australia managed to put an intimidating 369-run total in the first innings.
"He got to 44 comfortably, everything seemed to be hitting the middle of the bat, he just started to play some nice drives down the ground," said Ponting.
"And the trap was set for him as well, that mid-on fieldsman was three-quarters of the way back, there was also a deep forward square leg, so what Rohit was thinking there we'll never know. I'm sure Rohit would love to have his time over again," he added.
Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar was also frustrated after watching Rohit's 'irresponsible' shot.
"Why? Why? Why? That's an unbelievable shot. That's an irresponsible shot. There is a fielder there at long oo, there is a fielder there at deep square leg," Sunil Gavaskar told Channel 7.
