New Delhi: Rohit Sharma was destined for red-ball greatness, at least, that’s what it looked like following his sensational entry in the Test arena, which included a magnificent century in his debut match. Rohit announced his arrival with a bang, scoring a mesmerising 177 against the West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
It was an innings of great maturity as Rohit pulled off a remarkable rescue act, salvaging India from a perilous position of 82 for 4 with his 301-run knock that included 23 fours and a six.
Rohit Sharma’s explosive debut and early promise
Rohit enjoyed a dream start, aggregating 288 runs in his debut series. Surely, a sign of things to come.
But as they say, some things are just not meant to be.
Despite a rollicking start to his red-ball career, Rohit failed to cement his place in the long format and bid adieu to Test cricket on Wednesday with a feeling of unfulfillment.
His best phase in the whites came as an opener, but one that was sandwiched between two underwhelming spells.
Inconsistent performances and struggle for consistency
It was a career filled with moments of brilliance and significant inconsistency. The flashes of exceptional talent, often followed by a period of consistent failures and drops in form, led to a career that many believe remained unfulfilled.
His long-format career was marked by spells of big scores and then shocking slumps. The fact that Rohit could only manage to feature in 67 Tests during a 12-year-long career and scored 4301 with 12 hundreds and 18 half-centuries at an average of 40.57 tells the whole story of his rollercoaster journey.
Even though it was a career that didn’t justify his talent and ability, there were some memorable moments in his Test journey.
Memorable moments and final chapter
One that comes to the top of the mind is the debut knock in Test cricket (mentioned above), which should have set the tone for the rest of his career.
After a long period of consistency, his second innings in red-ball career came six years later when he was offered the role of an opener. By then, Rohit had established himself as one of the prolific openers in white-ball cricket.
He translated his limited-overs form seamlessly into red-ball cricket, playing a sensational 176-run knock against South Africa in Visakhapatnam with the help of 23 fours and six sixes.
He carried his superb form in Ranchi and notched up his maiden double century, smashing 212 off 255 balls courtesy of 28 boundaries and six sixes.
After another lull period, Rohit unleashed a batting storm in 2021 and conquered English conditions with a scintillating 121 to set up a famous victory at the Oval. Later that year, Rohit showed his mastery in slow-turning conditions in Chennai, scoring a superb 161 off 231 balls against England and sparked a comeback in the series.
Among the unforgettable moments in his Test career were the two ICC World Test Championship Final appearances and India’s landmark Test series win in Australia in 2020/21.
Rohit, like his sensational beginning as a batter, made a brilliant start as India’s Test captain. The Mumbai cricketer won 12 in his first 15 Tests as the skipper of the side, but similar to his up-and-down batting career, lost six of his last seven Tests – first a 0-3 humiliation at home against New Zealand and then a 3-1 loss Down Under against Australia.
Rohit Sharma’s Test career, marked by a sensational debut century, ultimately ended with a sense of unfulfilled potential. Despite flashes of brilliance, including multiple centuries and a double century, inconsistency plagued his 12-year journey. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
