Rohit Sharma under pressure, tricky conditions expected in Mohali

As Rohit Sharma walked to the middle of the PCA Stadium in Mohali on a gloomy Tuesday afternoon, he stopped to have a look -- not at the covered pitch but the moisture-laden dark clouds. The 24th Indian ODI skipper has only three games to prove his leadership skills.

Dharamsala was forgettable and Mohali, too, hasn’t been forgiving so far due to the inclement weather. Come Wednesday, Rohit would be hoping the weather gods are kind.

A seven-wicket loss in Dharamsala has put the hosts on the back foot. Mohali is the proverbial do-or-die game and the conditions could be more challenging due to the unseasonal rain.

Rohit admits that the result in the first game was an eye-opener for India, which has had an impeccable record against the Lankans.

What would also be of extreme concern for him is the top order’s weakness against the moving ball. The Indian top order succumbed to the pressure created by pacers Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal and Angelo Mathews.

The conditions could be tricky again in Mohali, and it will be interesting to see if Ajinkya Rahane makes it to the eleven. Rohit might consider him as a specialist opener but Rahane’s resilience and technique against pacers makes him eligible to play at No 3 as well.

Add Manish Pandey and Hardik Pandya’s flop-show and it seems the team management has plenty to discuss before the first ball is bowled in Mohali. Pandya scored only 10 when he needed to stay in the middle with Dhoni. He also proved ineffective and costly with the ball.