New Delhi: Not too long ago, Rohit Sharma had the world at his feet and was the cynosure of all eyes having led India to a memorable triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024. Rohit was at the peak of his powers as captain, relishing the glorious victory. Despite him calling it quits in T20Is, Rohit’s influence in Indian cricket seemed to have only gone up with his stature.
A few months down the line, Rohit finds himself on the receiving end of scathing criticism, vile abuse and unending retirement requests after what has been a terrible Test season for the Indian captain. It has been nothing short of a nightmarish tour of Australia for the Indian skipper, who has not only suffered an unreal dip in his form with the bat but has also lost the plot as captain.
Even in his worst dreams, Rohit wouldn’t have imagined he would go from a hero to villain in the matter of a few months in a year that saw him lead India to an ICC trophy after a drought of over a decade. But such is the volatility of situations in Indian cricket that it doesn’t take long for a player to be brought down to the ground.
Rohit, who skipped the 1st Test against Australia in Perth, witnessed Jasprit Bumrah lead India to a thumping 295-run victory in his absence. The pressure further intensified on the senior batter with KL Rahul doing well as an opener alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. But despite his poor show in the New Zealand Test series at home, expectations were high from the Indian skipper when he linked up with the rest of the squad ahead of the 2nd Test in Adelaide.
But what followed was a string of forgetful performances as Rohit failed to make an impact whatsoever with the bat. Rohit started with a new role in the middle-order to ensure Rahul was allowed to flourish at the top as an opener. But he failed to deliver, managing only 19 runs in two Test matches. The writing was on the wall for the Indian captain and expectedly he forced his way to the top after twin failures.
Rohit moved back to his original role as an opener for the recently concluded 4th Test in Melbourne at the expense of Rahul, who dropped to no.3 and Shubman Gill, who was dropped from the XI. Rohit was expected to regain his mojo at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) but he flopped again, managing scores of 3 and 9 in the two innings.
During India’s 340-run chase in their second innings at the MCG, the onus was on the Indian skipper to set the tone for the visitors with a good start at the top. While he did manage to see off the new ball, Rohit eventually succumbed again as he was dismissed cheaply on 9. India ended up losing the Test match by 184 runs after getting bundled out for 155 in what was yet another collecting batting failure.
Why India need to look past Rohit Sharma in Tests
Rohit has endured a disastrous run in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and has rightfully been on the receiving end. The captain and one of the senior-most batters in the team, Rohit has let India down throughout the series. He has managed only 31 runs in three Test matches so far in what is one of the worst performances by any visiting captain in a Test series in Australia.
To put it into context, Rohit has scored just 1 more run than Jasprit Bumrah’s total tally of wickets (30) in the series. Rohit has scored only 31 runs in his last five innings with his scores reading – 3, 6, 3, 10 and 9. His 31 runs in 3 Tests have come at an abysmal average of 6.20 which is the lowest by a visiting captain in a Test series in Australia.
Rohit’s overall numbers in Tests in 2024 have also been far from impressive despite a decent outing in the Test series against England at the start of the season. The Indian skipper has scored only 619 runs in 14 Tests at a poor average of 24.76, including just two centuries. For a 37-year-old at the fag end of his career, such dreadful numbers would be enough to be pushed out of the team forever.
However, Rohit has managed to hold on to his spot in the team being the captain of the side. Nonetheless, the pressure is mounting on the captain who is slowly turning into a liability in the longest format with calls growing at a rapid pace regarding his retirement from Test cricket. Rohit has been at the centre of a storm, facing scathing criticism after constant failures one after another.
While the final call remains his considering his stature in Indian cricket, it remains to be seen if Rohit will take inspiration from a certain MS Dhoni to hang up his boots before the calls grow louder and become unbearable or if he stays long enough to be kicked out of a team that desperately needs players who can take the onus at the top.
If the decision continues to be delayed from the player’s side, the selectors and the BCCI might need to take a bold call and have a tough conversation with the Indian skipper, whose final announcement might be around the corner.
Rohit Sharma’s days in the Indian Test team seem numbered amid his horror run with the bat in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia. Rohit’s dreadful numbers in Test cricket prove India need to look past the senior batter. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
