With 12 matches, 597 runs, and a 27.13 average, Rohit Sharma has hit a rut once again in 2024. Since his last Test century in Dharamsala against England, Rohit has averaged just 11.83 with eight single-digit scores in 12 innings, making him a liability rather than the asset the India Cricket Team was looking at in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. Now, the time is running out for the India captain. His T20I career has already come to an end. And the last three IND vs AUS matches could be the last of Rohit Sharma’s Test career.
While many thought Rohit Sharma would make a last push for his Test career after ending T20I with the T20 World Cup trophy, it hasn’t been the case so far. His decision to skip the Duleep Trophy did not help. With hardly any red ball practice, Rohit has struggled to play in Test cricket. That he has played a maximum of 63 deliveries in an innings since his return to Test cricket is a testament to that fact.
End of Rohit Sharma?
The next three IND vs AUS Tests will be not only crucial for Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain but also for the batter. If India do not win at least two out of the next three Tests, their hopes of a third consecutive ICC WTC Final will evaporate. As for the batter Rohit Sharma, if he fails to get runs in the next six innings, it could be The End of his Test career.
| Role | Inn | Runs | Avg | HS | 50 | 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Captain | 39 | 1232 | 32.42 | 131 | 4 | 4 |
| Batter | 74 | 3047 | 46.87 | 212 | 14 | 8 |
The captain Rohit
A reluctant Test captain Rohit Sharma’s record was good before the New Zealand series. In 18 matches, Rohit won India 12 Tests including a draw in South Africa. But in the last two months, he has also become only the second captain after Bishan Singh Bedi to lose three consecutive Test matches at home. Overall, he has won 7 and lost five in 2024, the worst by an Indian captain in the modern era.
If India fail to make it to the WTC Final 2025, it will be the end of a Test cycle. Thus, the BCCI will look at other captaincy options. Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant are waiting in the wings to lead India. And that could be the beginning of the new cycle with Rohit Sharma out as a captain and also a batter. His T20 World Cup triumph will not save him anymore. In fact, it could be the end of Rohit’s India career if he does not win the ICC Champions Trophy either.
The batter Rohit
To make things worse, his form has gone downhill. While Rohit salvaged his Test career as an opener, he had to give up the spot to KL Rahul in Adelaide due to his poor form. Back in the middle-order, Rohit scored 3 & 6 in Adelaide.
Clearly, Rohit Sharma does not fit into the middle-order role anymore. He is an opener and should open. But that will force him to tinker with KL Rahul’s position once again. At this stage, it won’t be surprising if he hands over the captaincy to Jasprit Bumrah and plays as a batter like MS Dhoni did to Virat Kohli. That way, the team management could slot in Sarfaraz Khan or Dhruv Jurel in the middle-order.
Rohit Sharma: Opening vs middle-order
| Position | Inn | Runs | Avg | HS | 50 | 100 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opener | 64 | 2685 | 44.01 | 212 | 8 | 9 |
| Middle order | 44 | 1487 | 40.18 | 177 | 9 | 3 |
Rohit Sharma ‘unfit’
Former South Africa opener Daryll Cullinan made scathing remarks on Rohit Sharma. In an exclusive interview with InsideSport, Cullinan claimed that Rohit is not fit for Test cricket.
“Look at Rohit, then at Virat. Notice the difference in their physical condition. Rohit is overweight, and not a long-term cricketer anymore. Rohit is not in a good physical condition for the hard grind of a four or a five-match Test series,” Cullinan told InsideSport.
“I will say it again. Rohit’s best at home but I just wonder if it is not going to backfire India, because they were not the same team in the second Test. I think Rohit is a flat-track bully. Let’s look at the record outside India. Every time he has been to South Africa, I’ve clearly got the feeling that he does not like the short ball. I did not like the fact that he’s in the middle-order now. He is an opener. He must come and lead from the front,” he added.
There is some truth to the statement. While Rohit Sharma averages 32.44 in overseas Tests, his average jumps to 51.73 at home. In SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia), his average is only 29.66 with just a century in 46 innings.
Now, it’s perform or perish situation for Rohit Sharma. He can take the harsh criticism by Daryll Cullinan and the other former cricketers and show his worth once again. But if he fails, the axe is likely to fall on him after the IND vs AUS Test series.
