It may be overcast in Brisbane, but the heat is already on India captain Rohit Sharma and a former Test great says he is too fat for the grueling five-match series.
Sharma joined the Indian team in Adelaide after missing the first Test in Perth, batting himself in the middle order instead of his usual position opening the batting.
His arrival in Australia has sparked controversy, following reports that he had a heated confrontation with bowler Mohammed Shami, who has not been selected in any of the three Tests in Australia, despite favorable seaming conditions.
He also opted not to attend the pre-match press conference and instead fielded Shubman Gill.
Former South African star Daryll Cullinan was considered the best Test batsman of his generation and played against Sharma before the Brisbane Test.
Cullinan called him “a flat, overweight bully” who was no longer the player he was.
India captain Rohit Sharma is under pressure after his team suffered a heavy defeat in Adelaide.
Former South African star Daryll Cullinan said Sharma is no longer fit enough for long cricket Test series
It is still unknown whether Sharma will open the batting or drop back down the order like he did in Adelaide.
‘Look at Rohit, then at Virat. Notice the difference in your physical condition. “Rohit is overweight and is no longer a long-term cricketer,” Cullinan told Insidesport.
Rohit is not physically fit for the hard work of a four-five match Test series.
‘I’ll say it again. Rohit is the best at home, but I wonder if it won’t backfire for India because they weren’t the same team in the second Test.
“I think Rohit is a flat-road bully. Let’s look at the records outside India. Every time he has been to South Africa I clearly get the feeling that he doesn’t like the short ball.
‘(I didn’t like) the fact that I’m in the middle order now. It’s an opener. “You have to come and lead from the front.”
It comes as India’s batsmen have been told they must sort out their first innings woes and find a way to play big against Australia in Brisbane, after a recent horror run in Tests over the past three months. .
Tied 1-1, India arrive at the Gabba with fond memories after their heroics at the venue four summers ago saw them clinch the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
But they are also aware that they must reverse a damning run with the bat dating back to their two-Test series against Bangladesh in September.
Shubman Gill, right, took up the task of speaking to the media ahead of the Brisbane Test.
While much of the attention has been focused on Australia’s faltering top order, India have had their own problems in recent months in their first Test innings.
In seven Tests this season, India’s top seven batsmen have registered no centuries and 10 ducks in their team’s first innings.
The only three-figure score by an Indian player in the first innings came from Ravichandran Ashwin, who batted at number 8 against Bangladesh.
Together, the group has also earned just seven scores above 50, with the top seven averaging 22.
Virat Kohli also has only one score above 10 in the first innings in Tests against Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia, while Rohit has failed to reach 25.
“As a team and as a batting group, we are looking to get a big first,” said top-order batsman Shubman Gill.
‘This has been one of the key discussions. Each hitter will have their own game plan.
‘As a batting group, collectively, we are going to try and get a big score in the first innings. “That’s what the discussion has been about.”
Gill has been India’s most consistent player with the bat during that time, posting scores of 31 and 28 upon returning from a broken thumb in Adelaide last week.
He made his debut on India’s last tour of Australia, scoring a crucial 91 in the Gabba Test to help his team shock the hosts and claim a surprise series victory.
“I definitely felt a lot of nostalgia when I came here,” Gill said.
‘The conditions are definitely challenging (in Australia) but there is a period between 30 or 35 overs to the new ball where it becomes a bit easier to bat.
‘It’s about mental intensity. The launches are fast.
“You have to be there in your mental shape and play with the same intensity with which you came to the box at the beginning.”