Aakash Chopra blames Rohit Sharma's attacking style for his downfall in Test cricket

Aakash Chopra has raised concerns over Rohit Sharma's recent performances in Test cricket. The former Indian batter has pointed out a notable shift in the Indian captain's batting style following his poor performances against Bangladesh and New Zealand at home.

Aakash Chopra has noted that Rohit Sharma’s steady approach that brought him success seems to have been replaced by an ultra-aggressive strategy that has backfired in Test cricket.

Aakash Chopra questions Rohit Sharma’s aggressive shift in Test cricket

Aakash Chopra believes that his aggressive approach might be the reason behind his series of poor Test performances. In India's latest Test series against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma managed just 91 runs at an average of 15.17, leaving one and all frustrated.

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The story was similar in the last home Test series against Bangladesh, where he averaged only 10.50 in four innings. Throughout these five Test matches, Rohit’s struggles were particularly evident against the seamers.

Ahead of India’s crucial Test tour of Australia, Aakash Chopra emphasized that Rohit Sharma’s numbers are alarming, especially given his usually high standards in Test cricket.

Sometimes you pay a price for your success: Aakash Chopra

A dip in form can be normal for any player, but Rohit’s current average is too low for comfort and may indicate deeper issues with his approach, according to the cricket pundit.

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: "Sometimes you pay a price for your success if you are compared with your lofty standards. If the average had been 37-38, you might have said that his standard is 55, but 37-38 is not too bad, but we are saying bad because the standard is so high.

However, an average of 13, from whichever vantage point you might see, these numbers are worrying, and in that, the number of times he got out to fast bowlers and the way he got out, there is a question mark. The way or the highway we talk about, Rohit didn't use to play like this."

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Traditionally, Rohit built his Test innings by leaning into his defensive strengths and carefully selecting balls to leave—a technique that enabled him to anchor India's innings in the past. However, Chopra hinted that the Indian skipper’s shift in focus, potentially inspired by his success in white-ball formats, might be affecting his game in red-ball cricket.

It seems like Rohit Sharma isn't in the mood to stay on the crease: Aakash Chopra

Rohit’s role as a power-hitter in white-ball cricket is something he excels at, setting the tone with quick scoring, but Chopra warned him that Test cricket demands a more measured approach, which even he had successfully embraced earlier.

The commentator added that Rohit’s recent shift toward aggression, especially when facing high-quality seam attacks, is leading to his downfall. Chopra further explained, “Rohit Sharma's new chapter of Test cricket had started because he started loving his defense. He had started liking leaving deliveries. Spending time became a thing for Rohit, but now it seems like he won't do that at all. This started with the ODI World Cup.”

He signed off by saying, “There was also the question of whether you were selling yourself short if you were scoring 45 or 55 when you could score 150. It's okay; it was white-ball cricket; others scored. It is absolutely fine in T20 cricket, as others will score once you set the tempo. However, not in Test cricket. You played well against England; you scored 400 runs, which was a decent turnover. That happened because he wasn't hitting every ball.”