Rohit Sharma's Half-Century: A Return to Form or a Costly Knock for Team India?

India’s woes continued in Adelaide as Australia sealed the ODI series with another convincing win. Despite a gritty half-century from Rohit Sharma, Team India once again faltered due to weak batting and poor fielding. While Virat Kohli’s back-to-back ducks raised eyebrows, Rohit’s 73-run innings also drew criticism — not for failure, but for its approach. Did Rohit, in trying to save his place in the team, end up hurting India’s chances?

In the first ODI at Perth, Rohit was dismissed for just 8 runs, visibly struggling against the Australian pace attack. It was his first international appearance in seven months, and naturally, expectations were high for a comeback in Adelaide. With his place under scrutiny and his 2027 World Cup ambitions in question, Rohit needed runs — and he got them. But the manner in which he got them raised doubts about his intent and rhythm.

Rohit faced 97 balls for his 73, including 7 fours and 2 sixes. His strike rate stood at just 75.25 — unusually low for a batsman known for explosive starts. In the first 10 overs, he crawled to 19 off 43 balls, and by the 18th over, was 30 off 62. Two sixes in the 19th over momentarily lifted the tempo, but the momentum never truly came. For perspective, the last time Rohit played over 50 balls for a sub-70 strike rate was nearly six years ago — in December 2019 against West Indies.

This conservative knock has raised an important question: where did Rohit’s famed “intent” go? In recent years, especially after 2023, Rohit had reinvented himself as an aggressive leader who batted fearlessly for the team’s cause. His attacking starts set the tone in India’s 2023 World Cup campaign and the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. Yet, in Adelaide, that version of Rohit seemed absent — replaced by a player seemingly battling to regain confidence more than dominating the opposition.

It’s possible that the long break from international cricket dulled his rhythm, or perhaps the pressure to perform forced a cautious approach. But with India struggling and senior players like Kohli misfiring, the team needs the old Rohit back — the one who played selflessly, not safely. Whether this subdued version of the “Hitman” is just rust or a sign of shifting priorities will become clear in the matches to come.