Dinesh Karthik said that Rohit Sharma has had his fair share of troubles while facing Tim Southee in international cricket. On Thursday, in the first innings of India’s second Test against New Zealand at the MCA Stadium in Pune.
Rohit has got out to Southee 14 times, the joint-most by any bowler along with South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada. Having also dismissed Rohit four times in Tests, the Kiwi bowler knows the art of taking down the Indian captain.
“The ball was swinging a bit and Southee has had his number quite a few times. If you want me to get into stats, 14 times he has dismissed him in international cricket. He probably has an edge over Rohit a little bit. Hence, he is aware that he is the bowler that Rohit does not fancy as much, so the batter was just taking his time. He came out defensive,” Karthik told Cricbuzz.
‘Rohit Sharma played the ball rather badly’
Karthik said that Rohit should not have played the ball the way he did to get out. Karthik, who retired from Indian cricket earlier this year, said that Rohit’s defensive technique to facing Southee’s delivery was not how it should have been.
“That was a stock, standard ball for Southee. There was nothing great about it. Yes, it swung a little bit from the stumps, but that is what good international bowlers do. Rohit got out to a ball which he should not have. It might look good on screen. He played the ball rather badly. The way he defended was not the best way to defend that ball,” Karthik said.
Since the Dharamsala Test against England back in March, Rohit has found the going tough in Test cricket. Although he scored a half-century in the second innings of the Bengaluru Test against the Black Caps, Rohit has got out in single digits five times in seven innings.
