'You have to take responsibility' - Inzamam-ul-Haq slams Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has criticized Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for their defensive approach in the third Test against England. The ex-cricketer expressed his disappointment about how the two leading batsmen of the Indian team went about their business on day one of the Headingley Test. 

After winning the toss, Virat Kohli decided to bat first but his team didn’t seem to respond to the call. India was rolled over for just 78, their second score lower than a hundred in the last 12 months of Test cricket. Inzamam was of the opinion that the Indian batters failed to put any pressure on the English bowlers whatsoever. 

Inzamam noted that once a batter has played 25 to 30 balls, his hand and eye coordination should be in sync and they should be able to read the pitch. “The Indian batters never put any pressure on the bowlers. As a cricketer, whatever the nature of the pitch is, whether there is swing or spin, if you have played 25-30 balls, your eyes, your eye coordination, your hand coordination, all these get accustomed to the pitch,” Inzamam-ul-Haq said on his YouTube channel. 

You can’t say that you are not set after playing 105 balls: Inzamam on Rohit Sharma

The former Pakistan batter further gave the examples of Rohit and Virat to explain his point. The Indian opener batted for 105 balls on day one but managed to only score 19 runs. He let the ball go but the pressure building on the other end with heaps of wickets falling didn’t really allow him to get going. Kohli played 17 balls during his stay at the crease and was eventually found out by James Anderson.

“You have to take some chances after that. Like Rohit Sharma, he played 105 balls. You can’t say that you are not set after playing 105 balls. You have to take responsibility and you have to play your strokes. Virat Kohli too played 17 balls. But what did he do? He made 7 runs, and he was completely tied up,” Inzamam-ul-Haq added.

Furthermore, Inzamam made a point about India’s decision to bat first. According to the former Pakistan player, India should have elected to bowl first given how the England batsmen were under pressure after their loss in the Lord’s Test. Inzamam noted that England might not have gotten bowled out for 78 but surely they would also have some trouble because of the moisture on the pitch early on.