'Rohit Sharma, I don’t really want to see you...' - Aussie legend sends bold message

Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has urged Indian captain Rohit Sharma to bring more energy and aggression to his batting as the tourists face a challenging task in the ongoing third Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane.

Following a disastrous collapse of India’s top order on Day 3, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will need to stitch a long partnership if the defending Border-Gavaskar Trophy champions want to make a comeback in the ongoing Gabba Test against the mighty Australians.

Matthew Hayden urges Rohit Sharma to bring energy and aggression to the crucial Gabba Test

Australia set India a massive target by posting 445 runs in their first innings, but the tourists’ batting line-up crumbled under pressure at The Gabba. Top Indian batters Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and Rishabh Pant have all failed to make significant contributions against Australia.

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As the Indian cricket team is still trailing by 394 runs against Australia, Matthew Hayden stressed the need for Rohit Sharma to approach his innings with more energy which has been lacking in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.

The cricket pundit urged Rohit to play with great energy and intent for at least his own sake, saying the Indian skipper needs to bring his vintage avatar to pull his team out of the precarious situation in the ongoing Gabba Test against Australia.

When I think of him, I think of a free-scoring batsman: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports: “When I think of Rohit Sharma, I think of a free-scoring batsman. You look at those double hundreds in one-day cricket, his magnificence in the short formats. For purely Rohit Sharma's sake, he needs to have a great intent and energy about him. When I think back to Adelaide's first game here in a long time, he was just a little sluggish. I'd be saying to him as his partner, 'I don't really want to see you defend the ball here.'

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I want him to be really reactive to the ball, really up for the fight, because his natural game will flow. Energy and intent will take that front foot a lot further towards the ball. Rohit, what I want you to do, my brother, is play with great energy and intent, and I'd have those as two maybe trigger words for him to think about in his preparation.”

Matthew Hayden urges Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to build key partnership for India’s comeback in the Gabba Test

Meanwhile, the former Australian opener has also emphasized the importance of a strong partnership between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to help India recover from their tough situation in the ongoing crucial third Test against Australia at The Gabba.

Both players need to build a solid foundation for India to bounce back in the match. Rohit, however, is under pressure due to his recent batting struggles and his controversial decision to bowl first after winning the toss in Brisbane.

Despite the criticism, Hayden believes that the Indian skipper has a great chance to prove himself, both as a captain and as a batter in Brisbane, as a strong and aggressive performance from Rohit could not only turn things around for India but also lift the morale of the team and their supporters.