Rohit Sharma with his teammates (Getty Images) Even though Rohit Sharma is no longer India’s official ODI captain, his leadership on the field remains evident. The second match of the ongoing three-match series against Australia in Adelaide saw Rohit step in to guide the off-spinner Washington Sundar with animated, tactical advice while Shubman Gill focused on setting the field. His gestures and instructions clearly emphasized that Rohit’s influence on team strategy and decision-making continues even without the captain’s armband. The incident occurred after the 33rd over when Rohit spotted Sundar struggling with his bowling plan to left-handed batsman Cooper Connolly. Rohit approached the bowler and gave a fiery, practical interview, making numerous gestures to indicate the changes Sundar needed to make. Sundar listened quietly and followed the instructions while Gill dealt with the deployment in the field. Commenting on the move, former India pacer Varun Aaron noted, “The key for a left-handed off-spinner is to move the ball away from the batsman and the ball a bit slower. Usually the captains come in and tell the bowlers what to do.”Click here watch the video. At the start of the match, Rohit staged a remarkable comeback. After being dismissed for just eight runs in the rain-shortened series opener in Perth, which fueled World Cup speculation, the 38-year-old hit a patient 73 in Adelaide. His innings laid the foundation for India’s total of 264 for 9. During the knockout, Rohit shared a crucial 118-run partnership for the third wicket with vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, who scored 61 off 77 balls, helping India recover from the quick loss of Gill (9) and Virat Kohli (0). Later in the innings, Axar Patel, promoted to No. 5, contributed 44 off 41 balls, including a 39-run stand with Sundar (12). Tail-enders Harshit Rana (24 not out) and Arshdeep Singh (13) added 37 runs off 29 balls for the ninth wicket. Despite these efforts, Australia managed to chase down the target in 46.2 overs with two wickets in hand. Adam Žampa was named player of the match for his four-goal haul. Rohit’s performance and leadership on the field underlined that even without a formal captain, he remains a central figure in India’s ODI strategy.
