'Gambhir, Morkel Must Help Rohit'

'Gautam Gambhir and Morne Morkel will need to provide Rohit with more inputs like whether to bowl bouncers or bowl round the wicket or whether we are allowing the game to drift.'

Rohit Sharma joined a rare list of India captains who have lost four or more Tests in a row after India suffered a 10 wicket thrashing in the second Test against Australia at Adelaide.

He becomes only the sixth Indian captain to lose four or more Tests in a row including Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (6 losses in a row in 1967-1968), Sachin Tendulkar (5 losses in a row in 1999-2000), Datta Gaekwad (4 losses in a row in 1959), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (4 losses in a row twice in 2011 and 2014) and Virat Kohli (4 losses in a row in 2020-2021).

Rohit led India to the T20 World Cup title earlier this year, but his Test record has not been that encouraging in recent years, winning 12 while losing eight Tests out of 22 matches played since 2022.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra was not impressed with Rohit's defensive captaincy during the Adelaide Test, which he believes shifted the momentum in Australia's favour.

'I would say his captaincy has been a bit lacklustre, no doubt about it,' Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel Aakashvani.

'Did we bowl bouncers at Travis Head? Unless we bowl bouncers, he doesn't get out. He troubled us in the ODI World Cup final, WTC final, and still continues to trouble us.'

'Jasprit Bumrah had bowled a four-over spell and he had picked up a wicket. Why did he bowl just four overs in that spell? He didn't bowl after that in the entire session. Rohit missed a trick his captaincy. It was very defensive captaincy, we could see that the match was allowed to drift.'

India staged an incredible fightback to win the series opener in Perth under Bumrah's captaincy before they lost the Adelaide Test under Rohit.

Chopra, who played 10 Tests for India, says it is important to back Rohit at a crucial juncture in the series, with three more Tests still to come.

'We have to back him as the captain. (Coach) Gautam Gambhir and (Bowling Coach) Morne Morkel will need to provide Rohit with more inputs like whether to bowl bouncers or bowl round the wicket or whether we are allowing the game to drift.'

Rohit's captaincy, Chopra insisted, was not solely responsible for India's big defeat in Adelaide. He believes the batting collapses in both innings caused India's downfall as they lasted a total of 81 overs in both innings, perishing under 200 both times.

'Let's get our facts right, we didn't lose in Adelaide because of his captaincy. As I have said before he is not pro-active and allows the match to drift, but that was not the reason why we lost in Adelaide,' pointed out Chopra.

'We didn't score runs in both innings in Adelaide which was the big reason for the defeat. As a team you batted only 80 overs in the full Test match, so how do you expect to win?'

Rohit scored just 3 and 6 in the two innings in the Adelaide Test to continue his woeful recent run, including just one fifty in his last 12 innings.

'There is big question about Rohit Sharma's form for sure. Starting with the Bangladesh series, then the New Zealand Tests and now the Adelaide Test, he has just one fifty from 12 innings.

'He has not looked very good here also. He came down the innings in Adelaide but that to accommodate Rahul at the top. Even when he batted down he didn't look good. The incoming delivery got him leg before, and he misses the outside edge (to be bowled in second innings) and this is happening quite regularly.'

'He is a touch player, he is a slightly high-hand co-ordination player so with these type of batters when you grow a little older, sometimes the reflexes become a little slower.'

The big dilemma for India would be to whether to get Rohit back to the opening slot or retain him at No. 6 but Chopra believes he should continue to bat down the order.

'No. 6 should suit Rohit provided you have a start like in the second innings in Perth. He can then come and dominate from the start otherwise this tour looks a little tough for him.

'Now the question will be whether Rohit should open in Gabba. I don't think that will happen and Rahul will continue as opener and if Rohit bats down the order and if he still doesn't get runs it's gonna hurt because if you are getting just one fifty in 12 innings you are not pulling your weight in the side as a batter for the time being.'

'He has an incredible past but the current form is not in favour of Rohit Sharma.'

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