New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS): Veteran India batter Cheteshwar Pujara has advised skipper Rohit Sharma to focus on getting his 20 or 30 runs in a steady mode, following which can help him amass a big score and break his poor run of form in Tests.

Rohit could only muster nine runs over the two innings as a number six batter in India’s ten-wicket defeat to Australia at the Adelaide Oval. Moreover, Rohit’s average in his last six Tests is just 11.83. With the current five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series locked at 1-1, India would need for Rohit to hit top form in the third Test, starting on December 14 in Brisbane.

“First of all, I would like Rohit Sharma to come back to form as soon as possible. Because when he scores runs, it will affect his captaincy as well. When a captain is out of form, it affects his captaincy as well. So, I think when scores runs, it will affect his captaincy.

“Rohit Sharma is an experienced player. He knows how to score runs when batting. He is going through some bad form. But even there, a start is very important for him. He should focus on getting his first 20 or 30 runs steadily. After that, he can capitalise on the start and convert it into a big score. So, hopefully, when he comes in the first half or quarter of an hour, he should focus on getting a start,” said Pujara to Star Sports.

Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh stated that Rohit’s form plays a crucial hand in him succeeding in his role as the team’s skipper. “As a captain, I would like Rohit Sharma to make runs. When he scores runs, he will think better and do better things.

“No matter how big a player is, he is always worried about his performance. There is no doubt that when a player scores runs, he makes a better decision. So, let's hope that Rohit Sharma scores some runs so that his captaincy gets better.”