India vs England Test: Rohit Sharma Pressured into Wrong DRS Call by Teammates’ Opinions

Day 1 of the fourth Test match between India vs England in Ranchi saw India burn all three of their reviews in the first two sessions as Rohit Sharma misjudged two easy opportunities. India was given six reviews by tea on Friday. They had two victories over Joe Root and one over Ben Foakes, but they also suffered two defeats to Ollie Pope and one each to Jonny Bairstow and Ben Duckett. The first ball was a slap on the pads for the former captain of England, and although the umpire’s decision was clear, Rohit was coerced into making the wrong judgment and paid the consequence.

The Indian pacer believed he had taken out another wicket in Root, with England down two for forty-seven and Akash Deep ecstatic about having claimed both wickets. The fielders felt differently, though, even though they were told not to go. When Rohit attempted to approach Dhruv Jurel, he was usually hesitant and ended up being mobbed by nearly everyone. However, Ravichandran Ashwin started the convincing process by talking passionately about the shot Root played.

Nevertheless, eight or more players approached Rohit to offer their opinions before he could finish. Rohit eventually accepted it, thinking there could not be a mistake, but he later regretted his choice when the ball was pitched outside off and India was called for a review. In an interview, Dinesh Karthik described how Rohit should consider his options rather than give in to his teammates’ pressure in such situations. It’s evident how each player approaches Rohit. Everybody has a viewpoint. Being reasonable and talking things over with a few players is crucial at times. “It’s now the way it should be, with nine players approaching the captain,” the seasoned Indian wicketkeeper stated during commentary.

Things go from bad to worse for India.

If losing one wasn’t enough, 14 overs later, India lost another one when Jadeja’s appeal against Root was denied, although they still appeared to be convinced. Not in the right way. Then, as the final DRS went begging in the 60th over, things became even worse. Jadeja’s first judgment to declare Foakes out left him pinned on the back foot. However, Rohit was encircled by a swarm of players once more and signaled the T despite the outcome, only for India to lose all three.

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England has reasons to cheer

After lunch, England performed admirably as Root and Foakes lifted the total to 198/5 at tea, their first wicketless session of the series, after they had fallen to 112/5. After abandoning the Bazball strategy, former captain Root batted with a far more traditional approach, scoring a hard-hitting half-century and taking his partnership with the England wicketkeeper to 86 from 221 balls.