Rohit Sharma interrogated for being Intent Merchant by one of his close friends in Indian cricket

Former India wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik has advised Rohit Sharma to focus on his defensive technique instead of relying on aggressive shots in Test cricket. Following Rohit Sharma's recent dismissal in the Mumbai Test against New Zealand, Dinesh Karthik expressed concerns over his batting approach.

Chasing only 147 for victory, Rohit aggressively attacked the bowling from the start. The skipper smashed two fours but his reckless approach led to his dismissal after scoring just 11 runs off 11 balls. His dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse for India, who were bowled out for only 121 runs.

Intent Is Getting Him Into A Safe Space - Dinesh Karthik

Speaking on Cricbuzz post-game, Dinesh Karthik said that Rohit Sharma relies on attacking shots when facing pressure, which can lead to dismissals. Karthik stated that Rohit needs to reconsider his strategy, as his approach doesn't align with the demands of Test cricket.

"In Test cricket, what I feel is that intent is getting him into a safe space where he feels when in trouble, use that. It's not a method where he's using it like he's using it in white ball cricket, one that Indian team needed. Here, a lot of times, when he is beaten a couple of times, when he is put under a little bit of pressure, an immediate instinct is to play an attacking shot fraught with risk. Now, with that comes the ability to get out as well," Karthik said.

"I think his safe space right now, in Rohit Sharma's case, is to attack. Then in that, he feels he is a lot more comfortable doing because he's seen that success. But when it doesn't go right, it always will give the image that it has given so far," he added.

Rohit Sharma Decided That I Can Play Shots - Dinesh Karthik

Dinesh Karthik advised Rohit Sharma to rely more on his defensive techniques, citing his successful stint during the 2021 England tour. The Indian captain scored 368 runs with an average of 52.57 on challenging seamer-friendly pitches. The veteran batter faced 866 balls at a strike rate of 42.49 during that series.

"He went to England. He left a lot of balls and he decided that I can play shots. But what I am going to do is, anything outside the off-stump, I am going to let it go. I am going to have the mental strength to bat long. He got a 100 and a 90. So, I think that's where he needs to go back to. To trust his ability to defend and see through tough phases," added Karthik.

Rohit Became First Indian Captain To Suffer Whitewash In Home Test Series

Rohit's performance was not only disappointing, but he also became the first Indian captain to suffer a whitewash in a home Test series of three matches or more. This loss against New Zealand was India's first home series defeat since the England series during the 2012/13 season under MS Dhoni.

This year, the opening batter has scored 588 runs in 21 innings with an average of 29.40. In the series against Bangladesh, he managed only 42 runs at an average of 10.50. The right-handed batter also had a disappointing outing against New Zealand, scoring 91 runs at an average of 15.16, with one fifty.

Also read: Revealed: How can India qualify for WTC final after humiliating Test series whitewash vs New Zealand