Rohit Sharma Fell Prey to Australia’s Mind Games, Says Former Spinner

Former Australian spinner Kerry O’Keeffe remarked that Australia has a long-standing tradition of deploying psychological tactics against visiting teams during home tours. He claimed that such strategies are aimed at mentally unsettling opposition captains, and in this series, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma became a victim of those ploys.

O’Keeffe highlighted that while these mind games did not affect Jasprit Bumrah, who is known for his resilience, they worked effectively against Rohit Sharma. He noted that Bumrah captained India in the first Test and led the team to victory, after which the captaincy was handed back to Rohit Sharma for the second Test. However, according to O’Keeffe, Rohit fell into Australia’s psychological trap, resulting in him being dropped from the playing XI for the final Test.

The former spinner further explained that such strategies are not new for the Australian team. He cited former pace bowler Glenn McGrath, who used to publicly declare how many times he would dismiss opposition captains before a series, creating significant mental pressure on the opposing sides. These tactics, O’Keeffe asserted, often had a lasting impact on rival teams.

Rohit Sharma, who played three matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, managed to score only 31 runs at a meager average of 6.20. His poor performance drew severe criticism, ultimately leading to his exclusion from the squad for the final Test. India suffered a heavy 1-3 defeat in the five-match Test series.