Australia Plans to "Torpedo" Rohit Sharma in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

India's Test captain Rohit Sharma's participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) remains uncertain, but Australia is determined to target him relentlessly whenever he takes the field. Former Australian leg-spinner Kerry O'Keeffe believes that Australia's pace attack, led by Michael Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood, will put Rohit under immense pressure.

Rohit's recent Test form has been underwhelming, with just 133 runs in 10 innings leading up to the BGT. Despite India's 2-0 sweep against Bangladesh, Rohit acknowledged his subpar performance as captain during the embarrassing 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand.

O'Keeffe emphasized Australia's historical strategy of targeting visiting captains, stating, "Rohit Sharma may miss one or two Tests, but he is the captain, and Australia always tries to torpedo the visiting captain. It's been a tactic they've used forever, and I think they'll go very hard at Rohit Sharma."

Along with Rohit, Virat Kohli, India's other star batsman, has also been under scrutiny due to his extended lean patch. In six Tests in 2024, Kohli has scored only 250 runs in 12 innings, including a solitary half-century.

O'Keeffe believes that Australia should remain cautious of Kohli, who has been a formidable opponent for the Aussies in the past. He said, "Kohli, who has worried them (Australia) over the years, what a stunning player he's been; but in sport, if you sense that the king of the jungle is slightly weaker, you poke a bit of cheek at him. I'm fascinated to see what Virat Kohli ends up with at the end of the summer. It could be the decisive point in the whole summer."

"If he has an absolutely blazing series, India could win," O'Keeffe added.

The first Test of the BGT begins on November 22 in Perth, and the outcome of the series could hinge on the performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

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