Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has urged captain Rohit Sharma to devise a clear tactical blueprint against left-arm pace all-rounder Sam Curran ahead of the series-deciding third ODI at Lord's on Sunday, even as he played down concerns over Rohit's scoring rate. The India vs England ODI series stands locked at 1-1, setting up a high-stakes finale at cricket's most storied venue.

The Curran Challenge

Nayar pointed to a clear tactical evolution between the two matches, noting that Rohit's approach against Curran had already shifted — and would need to shift further. 'Rohit Sharma will 100 per cent have to come up with a plan to counter Sam Curran. In the first ODI, he stepped out and tried to attack him. In the last match, he played a maiden over against Curran, which is very unlike Rohit. So, you will see a tactical change. Maybe he will play deep in the crease or stand outside the off stump. In the last game, he was expecting the ball to come in, but it kept moving away,' Nayar said in an interview with JioStar.

He added that Curran's primary weapon is not raw pace or extravagant swing, but relentless consistency. 'I'm not sure if Sam Curran will trouble him with pace, seam, or swing. He will trouble him with consistency. The conditions are helping him a bit. But I think Lord's will probably be a better pitch with shorter boundaries, so Rohit may find it easier to score,' Nayar said.

Conditions Demand Patience

Nayar also contextualised Rohit's measured approach in the second ODI, arguing that the surface left batters with little choice but to build carefully. He noted that even England's Joe Root — widely regarded as one of the finest players in the world — managed a strike rate of only 65-67 in that match, which Nayar described as the pitch-appropriate rate.

'Conditions are the most important thing. You have to respect them and in the second ODI, the ball was seaming and stopping, so batters had to take time. Rohit Sharma had to take responsibility, especially with Shubman Gill getting out early. There was a moment during Sam Curran's over when Rohit felt pressure, but overall his tempo was fine,' he said. Nayar also stressed that openers carry a specific responsibility in such conditions — to absorb early pressure and allow the middle order to accelerate later.

Strike Rate Not the Concern — Conversion Is

While Rohit's run-scoring tempo has drawn scrutiny during the England tour, Nayar redirected the debate toward a more specific concern: the captain's failure to convert promising starts into substantial scores. 'I'm not too worried about the strike rate of Rohit, but I am concerned that when he reaches a score of 26 or 27, he usually converts it into a fifty. He doesn't get out to off-spinners often, but he did in the last match. For me, it's more about mindset than skill. But he is batting well, so I'm not concerned,' Nayar stated.

This comes amid a broader backdrop of scrutiny on Rohit's form during the England tour, following the T20I series result that had already put the visitors under pressure before the ODIs began.

What's at Stake at Lord's

India arrive at Lord's with the series in the balance and with the added motivation of rescuing the tour after the T20I setback. A win at the Home of Cricket would give the visitors a series victory and a significant confidence boost heading into the next phase of their international calendar. The match is scheduled for Sunday, with conditions at Lord's — including its famously sloped outfield and variable bounce — likely to once again make the opening exchanges between Rohit and Curran a key tactical battle.