IND vs ENG: Rohit Sharma Is Past His Best, England Have A Golden Chance To Topple India On Their Own Patch – Geoffrey Boycott

Former England opener Geoffrey Boycott feels that the Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is no longer at his best and that this gives England a chance to win the ongoing five-match test series. The 36-year-old has had some difficulties in red-ball cricket lately and has struggled to perform at the highest level for his team.

In the first Test against England in Hyderabad, Rohit Sharma made good starts in both innings but failed to build on them. He also had a poor series in South Africa, where he failed to make a significant contribution to the team in the purest format of the game.

In his column for The Telegraph, Geoffrey Boycott believes that Rohit Sharma is well past his prime and although he has the potential to score big runs in Indian conditions, the English team has a good chance of repeating their 2012 series heroics.

“Their captain Rohit Sharma is nearly 37 and past his best. He makes pretty cameos but has only scored two Test hundreds at home in four years. They are also weak in the field”.

“This India team is ripe for the taking, and England have a golden chance to be the first side to topple them on their own patch for 12 years. India badly miss Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja has a hamstring injury and will not play the second Test,” Geoffrey Boycott said

Rohit Sharma’s leadership tactics were criticised after he took a defensive approach against the Ben Stokes-led team in the opening test of the series. Stokes’ ability to be aggressive and adapt to the game’s flow in Tests seemed to have caught the Indian captain and his colleagues off guard.

England Must Make The Most Of It Before Virat Kohli Comes Back – Geoffrey Boycott

Geoffrey Boycott believes that the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli will be a huge blow to India heading into the second test, stating that the Indian batting maestro provides a lot of energy on the field and urging the England team to make the most of the opportunity in the second test, especially in the absence of the former Indian captain.

“Jadeja is a huge blow. He is a great all-rounder, top bowler, brilliant fielder, and was their best batsman in the first Test. Kohli is their talisman”.

Virat Kohli’s presence was sorely missed in Hyderabad. He was noted not only for his batting abilities but also for his leadership and intensity on the field.

Besides, the 35-year-old might prove crucial to India’s victory against England in the final three games, for which he is set to return.