Former England captain Nasser Hussain commends Rohit Sharma’s leadership adaptability in the recently finished India-England Test series. Despite the initial setback in Hyderabad against England’s Bazball method, Rohit led India to a remarkable turnaround, ultimately securing a commanding 4-1 series victory.
Discussing on Sky Sports after the five-match series, Hussain highlighted Rohit’s willingness to learn from his earlier mistakes during the tournament.
“I think sometimes people confuse Rohit as a laidback cricketer who just lets the game drift. There is a lot of skill, thought, and brilliance about his batting. And I thought he had an excellent series as captain. He himself said in the press conference that he has had to learn and adapt his own style of captaincy at times,” said Hussain.
“Earlier on in the series, he didn’t bowl (Ravi) Ashwin with the new ball. And (Ben) Duckett, sitting there and waiting with his nemesis Ashwin, would get to 60s-70s before Ashwin comes on. But Rohit learnt from something he wasn’t getting right. In cricket, there is a grey area in there, and you do not get things right, sometimes,” he added.
India secured their 17th consecutive Test series victory at home since 2012, while England faced their initial series defeat since Ben Stokes assumed the permanent captaincy in mid-2022. Additionally, Rohit Sharma has not experienced a Test series loss since assuming the captaincy role in 2022.
“Do not mix up (Rohit with Virat’s captaincy) as he has followed in the footsteps of Virat Kohli”- Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain provided additional insight into the distinction in leadership styles between Rohit Sharma and his predecessor Virat Kohli. Kohli, known for his more direct approach, captained India in 213 games across formats, securing 135 wins with a win percentage of 63.38.
In contrast, Rohit has led the team in 115 matches, winning 85, boasting an impressive win percentage of nearly 74.
“Don’t confuse (Rohit with Virat’s captaincy) because he has come off the back of Virat Kohli. In your face, aggressive captain. In the huddle at Lord’s, saying let’s unleash hell on the England batting lineup. Rohit is not quite the same sort of person. He has that fire burning within,” said Hussain.
The ex-England captain also commended head coach Rahul Dravid for instilling a sense of ruthlessness in the Indian team following their initial Test defeat in Hyderabad.
“And also Rahul as well, we know Rahul Dravid, losing that game in Hyderabad, would have hurt Rahul Dravid. Because they were ahead in that game. And one thing Dravid is, ruthless, and he would have wanted them to be more ruthless. I think we saw signs of that as the series progressed,” stated Hussain.
Guided by Rohit, Team India advanced to the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup final last year. The 36-year-old is set to captain the side in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the U.S.A., scheduled to commence in June.
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