MELBOURNE: India captain Rohit Sharma expressed confidence that Virat Kohli will overcome his struggles with deliveries outside the off-stump in Australia.
Kohli ended a prolonged lean patch with an unbeaten century in the first Test in Perth. However, in the ongoing five-match series, he has repeatedly chased balls moving away from his stumps, leading to his dismissals.
"Modern-day greats will figure out their own ways (to deal with the issue)," said Rohit.
His own batting form has come under scrutiny in recent matches. The captain has scored just three, six, and 10 since returning to the team for the second Test after the birth of his son.
Despite his move to the middle order, which has not yielded much success, Rohit remained tight-lipped about a potential return to the opening slot where he has been most effective.
"Let's not worry about that. I think 'who bats where?' is something that we need to figure out ourselves. It's not something I should be discussing in every press conference," Rohit said.
"Whatever it takes for our team to look good or gives us the best chance to succeed, we'll try and do that," he added.
India won the first Test by 295 runs, but suffered a heavy 10-wicket defeat in Adelaide. They then fought to a draw in the rain-affected third Test in Brisbane.
"At 1-1, I think it's a fair reflection," Rohit added. "Both teams have played solid cricket, and these next two Tests are going to be crucial for both sides."
Looking ahead to the Boxing Day Test, Rohit emphasized the importance of focusing on the present.
"We want to break it down to Melbourne and focus on what we can achieve here, get things right, and play well."
India has added uncapped Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian to the squad for the final two Tests after ruling out the inclusion of seamer Mohammed Shami, who is sidelined due to a knee injury.
- Rohit Sharma
- Virat Kohli