Rohit Sharma may not have announced his retirement from Test cricket yet but going by his body language noticed by former Australia coach Justin Langer it may be only a matter of time before the Indian captain bids farewell to the longest format of the game. Rohit Sharma the batter has been a pale shadow of his once dominant self.
After a terrific start to the year, where Rohit Sharma drew the Test series in South Africa, scored two centuries against England at home and led India to a famous T20 World Cup win, the second half of 2024 has been all but forgettable. Besides embracing fatherhood for a second time, Rohit Sharma’s’ fall has been well-documented.
Rohit Sharma’s poor form as skipper and batter a worrying sign for India
In July, under Rohit Sharma, India lost their first bilateral ODI series against Sri Lanka after 28 years, and things worsened when India’s 12-year-long run of dominance was ended by New Zealand 0-3 at home. As the Australia tour goes, India’s only win of the series came in a match Rohit Sharma didn’t feature in, and once he was back, the team returned to losing ways in Adelaide and now Melbourne.
The internal chatter suggested that Rohit Sharma may walk away after the MCG Test but is now likely to continue until Sydney. However, once that is done, Rohit Sharma mustn’t prolong his Test career into the fresh World Test Championship cycle, as India’s next Test series – outside of the WTC final – begins against England in June
Justin Langer hints at India star Rohit Sharma’s retirement amid BGT 2024-25 4th Test loss
Former Australian coach Justin Langer has made a massive observation about Rohit Sharma, hinting at his retirement soon. He also opined that the veteran cricketer looked quite tired on the field during the fourth Test against Australia and kept displaying emotions.
The Indian skipper remains under massive pressure, having managed only 31 runs in three Tests in the ongoing series against Australia. Rohit was seen showing frustration when Yashasvi Jaiswal failed to hold on to three catches on the field.
After Australia’s 184-run win, the 105-Test veteran said that it was unlike Rohit to showcase emotions the way he did on day four at MCG. Langer also felt a scarcity of runs from the skipper has played in his mind too. He said, as quoted by The Hindustan Times:
“Rohit Sharma looks very tired to me. I saw him quite emotional on the field yesterday. That’s unusual for us to see Rohit like that. He’s usually so calm, so chilled out. But he was showing his emotions; he looks tired.
“It’s understandable because as a cricketer, when you’re not making runs, that’s all that stays on your mind. And as captain, if you’re not making runs and your team is not winning, the stress starts to come into the game. Whether he can get up for Sydney, that’s up to him. It’s a big challenge. India need him to get up to speed in Sydney.”
The right-handed batter needed a massive knock on day five when India were in pursuit of a steep 340 on day five in Melbourne. He got to nine runs before playing an expansive flick that resulted in his dismissal.
With India’s next Test series scheduled against England in June, there is a growing belief that Rohit Sharma should not prolong his Test career into the new World Test Championship cycle. Langer’s comments have only added fuel to this speculation, leaving fans and pundits wondering about Rohit’s future in the longest format of the game.