'Important to give yourself time in the middle' - K Srikkanth’s advice for Rohit, Kohli ahead of in BGT 2024-25

Former Indian opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth has advised Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to focus on spending some time in the middle before going for scoring shots, ahead the upcoming five-match Test series in Australia. With both players facing recent challenges, their performance could prove crucial for India's prospects in the series.

While the happiness of India's T20 World Cup victory is still fresh in many minds, the recent performances in red-ball cricket have raised concerns. Rohit's captaincy suffered a setback with a historic Test series defeat against New Zealand on home soil. Meanwhile, Kohli's struggles continued as he managed to score only 250 runs at an average of 22.72 from six games. Despite these challenges, Srikkanth is positive about Kohli's chances in Australia.

"The best thing about Virat is the determination and the hunger to achieve more. The bounce from the pitches in Australia isn’t something that should bother Virat,” the former said as quoted by TOI.

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Rohit needs to be slightly careful: Krishnamachari Srikkanth

For Rohit, however, Srikkanth has asked for a more cautious approach. Recent struggles against pace bowling, particularly in the New Zealand series where pacers claimed his wicket four times out of six, have pointed to some areas of concern. Srikkanth specifically pointed to the veteran's signature pull shot, which could become a potential vulnerability. 

"The way he was hurried on to mistime his favorite pull-shot. Even if you’re an attacking opener, it’s important to give yourself a little more time in the middle, especially in Australia. Your strength can sometimes turn into your weakness in Australia. All Rohit needs to do is to be slightly careful,” he added.

India squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25