India captain Rohit Sharma came under fire for his performance during Day 2 of the third Test at the Gabba.

BET NOW: Bet here on the IND vs AUS Test series and win cash bonuses

Former Australian cricketer Ian Chappell didn’t mince words in his latest column, calling out Rohit’s poor form with the bat and his “confusing captaincy.”

The India skipper struggled to make an impact as his team faltered after a strong start in the morning session, allowing Australia to bounce back through remarkable centuries from Travis Head and Steve Smith.

MORE: ‘Dumb cricket’ – Former players slam Rohit Sharma’s poor field placements as Travis Head hits century in Gabba Test

What did Ian Chappell say about Rohit Sharma?

Chappell expressed disappointment over Rohit’s dual failures with his leadership and batting, highlighting a lack of aggression in his approach.

“His struggles with the bat were only matched by his occasionally confusing captaincy. He appeared to be conservative in both endeavours in Adelaide, but a more aggressive approach may jolt him out of his malaise,” Chappell wrote in his ESPNcricinfo column.

Chappell’s observations came after India, having reduced Australia to 75/3 in the first session, allowed Head and Smith to dominate with a counter-attacking partnership. This display turned the tide in Australia’s favor.

Place your bets on the India vs Australia Test and other cricket matches here!

Where did Rohit Sharma go wrong with his captaincy?

Rohit faced heavy criticism for being overly defensive. After a strong start that saw India reducing Australia to 75/3, Rohit’s tactics seemed to lack the aggression needed to maintain control over the match.

One of the key issues was his approach against Travis Head. Known for his ability to score quickly, Head walked in under pressure but was soon allowed to settle as Rohit opted for spread-out field placements.

Instead of employing attacking fielders to build pressure, he left large gaps, enabling Head to rotate the strike with ease. 

Click here to bet on India vs Australia Test Cricket action!

Critics and former players like Ravi Shastri were vocal about Rohit’s ultra-defensive strategy. Shastri even described the fields against Head as one of the “worst setups”.