Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden has urged Indian captain Rohit Sharma to inject more energy and aggression into his batting as the tourists face a challenging task in the ongoing third Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane.

After the disastrous collapse of India's top order on the third day, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul will need to form a long partnership if the defending Border-Gavaskar Trophy champions are to bounce back in the ongoing Gabba Test against the mighty Aussies.

Matthew Hayden calls on Rohit Sharma to bring energy and aggression to crucial Gabba Test

Australia set India a huge target by posting 445 runs in their first innings, but the tourists' line-up crumbled under pressure at The Gabba. India's top batsmen Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant did not contribute significantly against Australia.

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With the Indian cricket team still 394 runs behind against Australia, Matthew Hayden has stressed the need for Rohit Sharma to approach his innings with more energy that has been lacking in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The cricket pundit urged Rohit to play with great energy and intent at least for himself, saying the Indian skipper must bring his vintage avatar to pull his team out of a precarious situation in the ongoing Gabba Test against Australia.

When I think of him, I think of a free-scoring batsman: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden told Star Sports: “When I think of Rohit Sharma, I think of a free-scoring batsman. You watch those double hundreds in one-day cricket, the magnificence of it in the short formats. Purely for Rohit Sharma's sake, he must have great intent and energy around him. When I think back to Adelaide's first game here in a long time, he was just a little sluggish. I would say to him as his partner, 'I don't want to see you defending the ball here.'

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I want him to be really active on the ball, really ready to fight, because his natural game will flow. Energy and intent will take that front foot much further towards the ball. Rohit, what I want you to do, my brother, is to play with great energy and intent, and I would have those two perhaps driving words for him to think about in his preparations.”

Matthew Hayden calls on Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to build a crucial partnership for India's return to the Gabba Test

Meanwhile, the former Australian opener also stressed the importance of a strong partnership between Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to help India bounce back from their tough situation in the ongoing crucial third Test against Australia at The Gabba.

Both the players need to build a solid foundation for India to come back into the match. Rohit, however, is under pressure due to his recent struggles with the bat and his controversial decision to bat first after winning the toss in Brisbane.

Despite the criticism, Hayden believes the Indian skipper has a great chance to prove himself, both as a captain and as a batsman in Brisbane, as a strong and aggressive performance from Rohit could not only turn things around for India but boost the morale of the team and their fans.