A fine run, but Rohit Sharma the Test batter stopped just short of greatness

On a Wednesday night when most eyes were on a tense border, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Tests, through an Instagram story. Even if his statement seemed a trifle too fast, it wasn’t exactly a surprise.

Since Wednesday evening, news had trickled in about the selectors not preferring him as captain for the England tour commencing in June. At 38, and after a poor tour of Australia (31 from five innings), a series during which he dropped himself from the final Test at Sydney, the curtains were drawing close on the Mumbaikar’s days in Tests.

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Having already retired from T20Is, Rohit, however, will continue to play in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). In the blue-shade, Rohit is one of cricket’s greats. Prolific with the bat and a mind-boggling strike-rate to boot, he dominated ODIs (11168 runs), and on March 9, led India to an ICC Champions Trophy title at Dubai. With a superb 76 against New Zealand, he was also adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’. In the current IPL, he has maintained a frenetic tempo after an initial sluggish phase with the Mumbai Indians.

Hailing from the illustrious Bombay school of batsmanship that was lit up by Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar at varying points, Rohit was seen as their natural successor. He found his mark in T20Is and ODIs instantaneously and was part of the squad that won the 2007 ICC World T20 in South Africa.

Hailing from the illustrious Bombay school of batsmanship, Rohit was seen as the natural successor to Sachin Tendulkar.
| Photo Credit:
PTI

In Tests, he had to bide his time as a freak injury scuppered his debut in 2010. Eventually, his maiden foray came in 2013 against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens, and he struck a 177 while stepping in at number six. He always had those extra micro-seconds to time his shots, and there was an ease with which he countered the red cherry.

But it was a start-stop career in Tests unlike the remarkable consistency he revealed in ODIs. But the moment he was locked in as an opener, a role he did with aplomb in the abridged formats, Rohit found a second wind. He batted with confidence and had a sense of certainty outside the off-stump.

And just as the Test career eased past his mid-30s, the law of averages caught up. The runs did not flow despite his 103 against England at Dharamsala in March last year. With 4301 runs from 67 Tests averaging 40.57, and 12 tons, Rohit has had a reasonably fine Test career but it will obviously pale when compared to the gargantuan stature he acquired in cricket’s shorter versions. For now, he is there in the IPL and is available to play the ODIs, in which he leads.