A dejected Rohit Sharma trudged back to the pavilion after attempting to pull Matt Henry over the cow corner, only to sky the ball, with Glenn Phillips comfortably reverse cupping the catch, sending the Indian captain back. Was this 11-run knock at the Wankhede Stadium, which fell into pin-drop silence post his dismissal, the last for Rohit Sharma, at home? Are we witnessing the decline of ‘Hitman,’ and could this have been his final home Test?
Rohit, known for his elegant and effortless batting has appeared a shadow of his former self in 2024. In the last 21 innings, he has scored only two centuries and as many half-centuries, totaling 588 runs at an average of 29.40. This marks his lowest yearly average since he began opening in 2019. Is this performance adequate for an Indian Test opener?
Instead of relying on his defence or leaving deliveries outside the off stump, Rohit has frequently opted for ‘release shots,’ a risky strategy in a format that demands patience, grit, and determination. This patient approach has been the cornerstone of his success in Test cricket since his return as an opener. This was the foundation that earned him three centuries against South Africa in 2019. Consider his 161-run innings against England in Chennai in 2021, where he relied on his defence to unsettle the English bowlers, subsequently becoming India’s top scorer in England during the 2021-22 series. This series included a century and a couple of half-centuries under challenging conditions. He replicated this approach in Roseau against the West Indies in 2023, and in Rajkot and Dharamsala against England earlier in the year. However, since then his performance has declined.
Even on Day 3 of the Mumbai Test, Rohit again opted for a ‘release shot’, leading to his dismissal. After being troubled by Matt Henry’s scrambled seam in the first over, he stepped out and hit a boundary over mid-on with a not so perfectly timed shot. In Henry’s next over, a similar attempt resulted in a catch to Phillips at mid-wicket. Has Rohit lost trust in his defence?
“I haven’t defended a lot in this series because I haven’t been at the crease long enough to defend. Clearly, I have to reassess my game and see what I can do best,” Rohit told reporters in the post-match press conference. “When I go out to bat, my primary thought is how I can put the team in the best position. Sometimes, the openers set the tone, but you can also fall on the wrong side, which has happened to me in this series. But I haven’t lost faith in my defence.”
“It’s just that I need more time at the crease to defend, which I haven’t had in this series. And I accept that I haven’t batted well. It’s been only these two series where I haven’t had enough time in the middle. Before Bangladesh, I spent considerable time. As you grow, you evolve, and I’m evolving as a batter too, trying to adapt. In that process, there’s a chance you might not succeed, which is what has happened. So, I’ll review my game and see what can be improved,” the Indian skipper said.
Rohit’s batting throughout the series was subpar, accumulating only 91 runs in six innings at an average of 15.16. In Bengaluru, he was bowled out by Tim Southee and Ajaz Patel in both innings. In Pune, he was yet again bowled by Southee in the first innings and caught off an inside edge while defending against Mitchell Santner in the second. In Mumbai, he was caught in two minds, attempting to both pull and defend against Matt Henry’s short delivery. Has the art of spending time at the crease started to diminish?
While Rohit doesn’t regret his approach, Australian bowlers might be anticipating his upcoming struggles.
“About shot selection in this match, it wasn’t up to the mark, starting from me. When chasing a target, you want to pressure the bowlers. You can’t let them settle into one line,” Rohit mentioned. “I played a poor shot, yes, but I don’t regret it because it has brought me success before. I’ll continue this approach, reflecting on what I need as a batter. But I know how it works here; when things don’t go well, questions are asked. If things are good, no questions are asked. I accept it.”
Rohit, who has retired from T20Is, will be 38 during India’s next home Test. A poor run in Australia could signify the end of Rohit’s Test career. A long rope in Tests might not be available at his age. However, he isn’t looking beyond the upcoming challenges.
India faces a critical situation regarding the WTC Final. They need four wins and a draw to secure a spot. Any less, and their qualification depends on other teams’ results.
“Look, I don’t think we should look too far ahead into the WTC Final. It’s important to focus on the Australia series. Many of our players have experience there, while some do not. That’s why we’re planning to arrive early to acclimatise. Australia isn’t an easy venue to play,” Rohit stated. “We’ll take confidence from our last two series there. But I’m not looking past the Australia series now.”
The Indian captain, however, concluded with uncertainty about his participation in the Perth Test starting November 22, “Right now, I’m not too sure if I’ll be going. But let’s see. Fingers crossed.”