Watch: Rohit Sharma laughs at Virat Kohli's outside off-stump struggles question

On Christmas Eve in Melbourne, the Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma showcased his cheerful side during a press conference, where he was asked about Virat Kohli’s form, his batting position, and the team's strategy for the much-awaited Boxing Day Test against Australia.

Well, Rohit Sharma, as usual, captivated the press conference room with his trademark style as he answered questions from reporters with enthusiasm. However, the Indian captain’s playful response to his batting position and Virat Kohli’s weakness left everyone in splits.

Rohit Sharma’s playful take on Virat Kohli’s off-stump struggles leaves everyone smiling ahead of the Boxing Day Test

When asked about Kohli's widely discussed struggle with deliveries outside the off-stump, the Indian captain responded with a laugh while expressing confidence that the modern-day great would find a way to come out of this issue and overcome the rough patch with the bat. Rohit also confirmed that he is 100% fit for the fourth Test.

Rohit Sharma said at the press conference in Melbourne: “Kohli's off stump.... You only said he is a modern-day great. Modern-day greats figure out their way or the path (to overcome issues).”

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The Indian captain showed strong support for his long-time teammate, who has faced challenges with the deliveries in the tricky area outside the off-stump. However, Virat Kohli managed to score a century in the second innings of the first Test in Perth, but he has not been at his best since.

The former Indian skipper has so far scored 5, 100*, 7, 11, and 3 in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Australian pacers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood have made the most of Kohli’s weakness, tempting him to play at deliveries outside the off-stump.

Rohit Sharma keeps his batting position under wraps for the Boxing Day Test

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma kept tight lips on his batting position for the Boxing Day Test against Australia, starting on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne. Addressing concerns about his form, the Indian skipper has emphasized that his focus has been on sticking to the basics during training sessions at the MCG.

Rohit insisted, “Let's not worry about that. I think 'who bats where?' is something that we need to figure out within ourselves. It's not something I should be discussing at every press conference. Whatever it takes for our team to look good or gives the best chance to succeed, we will do that.”

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The right-handed batter missed the first Test against Australia to be with his family for the birth of his second child. However, the Hitman was expected to return as an opener, but KL Rahul’s impressive 77 in India’s big win at Perth led to a change in the batting order, with Rohit moving to No. 6.

However, this shift hasn’t worked well for Rohit, as he has scored just 10, 3, and 6 runs in his last three innings in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia. But KL Rahul has made the most of his chances, scoring a solid 84 in the first innings of the drawn Gabba Test.

We don’t want to complicate what they are doing: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma also addressed concerns about the form of young players like Yashasvi, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant on the Australia tour. The Indian skipper stressed that their focus is on guiding the young players in areas like match awareness, rather than advising or complicating their approach.

Rohit signed off by saying, “See, as I told you, all these youngsters—Rishabh, Gill, Jaiswal—all these youngsters are in the same boat. We don’t want to complicate what they are doing.”