India batting coach Sitamshu Kotak expresses support Rohit Sharma Despite a poor opening performance in the ODI series against England, he said there is no pressure on a player of his caliber and he can play a different innings in the series decider at Lord’s.Rohit’s struggles were evident in the second ODI in Cardiff on Thursday as England won by 4 wickets to level the three-match series 1-1. The opener never looked certain and at the end of the Powerplay, India were on 61 for 1 but had scored just 10 runs off 18 balls. He ended up with 26 off 47 balls before being dismissed while trying to sweep Will Jacks. Rohit has not had the best form in ODIs this year. In eight games, he hit just a half-century and averaged 30.12. With speculation growing over whether selectors will replace the former India skipper ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup, Kotak was asked after the defeat in Cardiff whether Rohit’s position would be under review after the final ODI on Sunday.“I don’t think a player of Rohit’s stature can feel the pressure,” Kotak said after the match.“He’s too good of a player to feel that way. Yes, he didn’t score in both games. I don’t think it makes a difference. But today it looked like he was going to have a good innings, but that’s okay [that he didn’t get a big score]”.While Rohit found it difficult to move on, the captain Shubman Gill Got off to a fast start but conceded 31 goals in 30 balls. Virat Kohli The start was positive too, hitting three boundaries in his first 11 deliveries, while England’s bowlers struggled with length early on on a pitch that offered some variable bounce.Also read: Rohit Sharma no longer an automatic selection after Lord’s ODIKotak dismissed suggestions that Rohit was in trouble and said the opener could bounce back in the final ODI at Lord’s.“In a [given] I’ve seen a lot of batsmen that day who don’t get the momentum they want and that can happen,” Kotak said.“You might see [a] A completely different innings than Rohit Sharma in the main event. I wouldn’t use the word “struggled,” but maybe the shots he normally hits, it’s because of the double bounce, and maybe he’s uncomfortable.“Shubman started very fast, and then Virat started very fast, but he [Rohit] Probably didn’t put the ball in his slot.“You can definitely see a player like Rohit playing a completely different innings and I’ve seen that happen to a lot of batsmen. So it’s not just Rohit. I wouldn’t use the word he struggled.”India looked set for a bigger total after reaching 178/3, with Kohli scoring 65 runs, Shreyas Iyer secured the highest score with 66 points. However, the match lost momentum after Kohli was dismissed as India slumped to 193/7 and ended up at 233.England chased down the target with four wickets to level the three-match ODI series at 1-1. The decider will be played at Lord’s on Sunday.
