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Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma once again failed to make an impact, and got dismissed for just 3 on Day 2 of the 4th Test against Australia in Melbourne on Friday. He scored only 22 runs in his last four innings which added to his ongoing slump. His recent form has sparked widespread speculation about his future, with a PTI report suggesting he may retire from Test cricket after this current series.
The report elaborated that chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who is in Melbourne, may have discussions with Rohit about his future. It also claims that the prevailing belief is that Rohit can retire from Test cricket if our country fails to secure a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final. With the series tied at 1-1, the final 2 Test matches against Australia hold added importance for India and their WTC hopes.
Moreover, Sunil Gavaskar expressed serious concerns over Rohit Sharma's declining reflexes, suggesting that age might be catching up with the Indian skipper after his lazy rejection in the ongoing Boxing Day Test against Australia on Friday.
Gavaskar pointed out problems with the 37-year-old’s footwork, which have become more prevalent during his struggles in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rohit's decision to come back to the opening position in the fourth Test, alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal and moving KL Rahul to No. 3, did not produce the desired outcome. Facing just 12 balls, Rohit could only manage 3 runs before the dismissal by Australian captain Pat Cummins in India’s first innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
By attempting a half-pull shot to a short delivery outside off, Rohit mistimed it, top-edging the ball to Scott Boland at mid-on. This shot was described by Gavaskar as an uncharacteristic error, highlighted Rohit’s ongoing problems with Cummins.
"That's a shot that he normally plays. The half-pull off the front foot. I think he probably got in two minds whether to go for the proper pull shot or not and then ended up just trying to tap it like catching practice. But that's what happens when you have a gap, when you're 36, 37 years old and you have a long gap between playing cricket," Gavaskar stated on Star Sports, observing Rohit’s dismissal.