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'England is going to be a very important five-Test series. Rohit has to find a way to get this team going.'
Sourav Ganguly urged Rohit Sharma to take responsibility for India's Test revival if he continues to play the format, especially during the tour of England later this year.
The former skipper expressed his concern over India's poor form in Test cricket in the last season, which saw them losing 0-3 at home to New Zealand followed by the 3-1 series defeat in Australia.
Ganguly stressed the need for India to discover their form in England and backed skipper Rohit to lead the turnaround.
Rohit has endured a tough run in Tests, managing just 164 runs in his last 15 innings with a lone half-century. His form dipped so drastically that Rohit benched himself for the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney.
Talking about Rohit's struggles with the bat in Tests, Ganguly said: "What surprises me is his form in red ball over the last 4-5 years. A player of his stature and ability, he can do much better than what he has done."
"He must put on his thinking cap because we have five Tests against England and that is going to be another hard series. Just like the way it was in Australia. It is going to seam, it is going to swing. India need him to perform in red ball cricket. In white ball cricket, he is one of the greatest ever," he said during Trailblazers 3.0 by RevSportz.
Ganguly claimed Rohit's captaincy could be a crucial factor in the five-Test series in England.
"Leadership is very important. I have always said that Rohit Sharma is a fabulous captain because that is what I see, that is what I notice when he is captaining India. I have seen him captain Mumbai Indians. I have captained India for so many matches so I can see the traits in a captain."
"I am not surprised that he has taken India to greater heights in white ball. I don't know whether he is going to continue playing Test cricket but if he is hearing me, he should take the responsibility of turning things around in red-ball.
"India are not good in red-ball cricket at the moment and they need to look at it, find a way to play well in England because that is going to be a very important five-Test series. Rohit has to find a way to get this team going."