"People are going a bit overboard" - Harbhajan Singh comes out in support of under-fire skipper Rohit Sharma

Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has come out in support of skipper Rohit Sharma ahead of the two-match Test series against the West Indies.

Rohit has come under heavy criticism following India's heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Australia at the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final in London last month. Legendary Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar expressed dissatisfaction with Rohit's leadership qualities after the summit clash.

However, Harbhajan, who has seen Rohit Sharma from close quarters in the Indian team and in the Mumbai Indians (MI), feels criticism directed at Rohit is uncalled for as the entire team has fared poorly.

"I find that people are going a bit overboard...," the cricketer-turned-commentator told PTI. "The way Rohit has been criticized. Cricket is a team sport and one individual cannot take you from one place to other."

"Team India didn't do well in the WTC final, and yes, you talk about that performance and move on from there," he added. "But it is unfair to criticise Rohit alone, that he is not scoring runs, putting on weight, not captaining well. I think he is a brilliant leader."

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"We need to show faith in him" - Harbhajan Singh on Rohit Sharma

Harbhajan Singh went on to add that Rohit Sharma's leadership capabilities should not be judged based on recent results.

"I have played with him (Rohit) and watched him closely," the former off-spinner said. "He commands a lot of respect not only in the MI dressing room but also in the Indian dressing room. So I think it's unfair to judge him on the basis of recent results."

"He will come good and we need to show faith in him and we need to support him rather than pinpointing that you are not doing this or that."

Rohit will next be seen leading the Men in Blue in the first Test against the West Indies in Dominica, starting on Wednesday, July 12.