WTC Final 2023: Bad shot – Harbhajan Singh criticizes Rohit Sharma’s dismissal

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh slammed Rohit Sharma’s shot after the Indian skipper was dismissed for 43 runs in the second innings of the World Test Championship final against Australia at the Oval on Saturday. India was given a huge target of 444 runs after Australia decided to declare at 270-8 in their second innings.

Rohit once again got off to start but he was plumbed in front while trying to play a sweep shot against Nathan Lyon. The veteran right-hander had scored seven fours and one six in his knock and he was looking confident at the crease.

However, Nathan Lyon was right on the money against him. In fact, Rohit had scored a fine hundred in the second innings against England back in 2021 at the Oval and thus a lot was expected of him. Rohit was dismissed after scoring 15 runs in the first innings of the ongoing WTC Final.

Harbhajan Singh said on Star Sports, “He went around the wicket so that he can get bowled and lbw into play. There is no rough created for him on the pitch. So he will have to bowl within the stumps. When you bowl within the stumps, you are the happiest when someone sweeps you from that angle, because anything you miss, you can be given out.”

The former Indian spinner added: “Rohit Sharma got trapped by Nathan Lyon’s thinking. The only way he could have got out was by playing the sweep shot. If he had looked for singles and doubles, there isn’t that much spin or bounce that could have troubled you. Bad shot in my opinion. You just had to occupy the crease which he was already doing.”

Meanwhile, Rohit was scoring at a brisk pace as he had a strike rate of 71.67 and he was playing at the top of his game. In fact, India was scoring at five runs/over until Rohit Sharma was batting at the crease and the Turbanator lauded the Indian opener for the same.

“Very good, they were scoring at five runs an over until Rohit was batting. It is a big thing to score five runs an over in Test cricket. We are seeing 164 runs on the scoreboard because of the first 95 runs India scored.”

“Till the time he was at the crease, it didn’t seem like the opposition had a chance. He got out to the only bad shot he played. This is the best we have seen him bat in the last two-and-a-half to three months. If Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had been batting, I would have said that this match is 50-50.”

India needs another 280 runs to pull off a miraculous win but more realistically Australia requires another seven wickets to win the WTC crown.