'The Hitman' retires from longest format: Rohit Sharma's roller-coaster ride in Test whites ends

New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) Worldwide known as ‘The Hitman’ for his aggressive and ultra-attacking approach towards playing the game, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the Test format in a simple yet not so surprising fashion on Wednesday evening at 19:29 PM.

At 38, Rohit will continue to play in ODIs, but one is not sure if he will go all the way to lead the team in 2027 ODI World Cup. For now, it’s time to reflect on a roller-coaster of a Test career which had its lows, dazzling highs and ending in a tame manner.

For the uninitiated, Rohit was to make his Test debut in 2010, but he twisted his ankle on the morning of the match against South Africa in Nagpur, which meant Wriddhiman Saha was handed a debut. He finally got his long-awaited Test debut in 2013, against West Indies in the legendary Sachin Tendulkar's final series.

Rohit began his career in the longest format with an absolute banger - scoring a brilliant 177 against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in November 2013 announcing his arrival. Rohit produced a rescue act for the ages on his debut, unfurling 23 fours and a six in a 301-ball innings. He then went on to hit a century in Tendulkar’s last Test at his home ground, Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Despite starting his Test career with a bang, Rohit suffered a middling time in his Test career, which mirrored how his initial phase as a white-ball player was and failed to cement his place as a long-term consistent middle-order batter. But taking a leaf out of how Rohit’s promotion to opening changed his white-ball career, the then Test team management asked him to open in the longer format too.

Subsequently, his red-ball fortunes made a dramatic turnaround, as Rohit made 177, 127 and 212 at home in the Test series win over South Africa in 2019. That knock of 212 runs, coming off Rohit’s willow, was made in 255 deliveries with 28 boundaries and six maximums to his name.

The transition to opener kickstarted a fabulous run as Rohit averaged 42.81 in 66 innings as an opener, including hitting nine centuries and eight fifties. Be it making 161 on a turning pitch at Chepauk or facing the moving ball in a gutsy fashion to hit a hard-fought 127 at The Oval, Rohit was at his immaculate best in bailing India out of tough situations, thus advancing his status as the next prolific Test opener for India after Murali Vijay.

More success came Rohit’s way after enjoying a prolific 2021, scoring 906 runs at an average of 47.68 – of becoming India’s Test captain after Virat Kohli stepped down. Rohit took up this challenge with gusto by leading India in 24 Tests, winning 12 and losing nine games, while three games ended in a draw.

He also oversaw India becoming runners-up in 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final after losing to Australia at The Oval. Despite transition looming large, Rohit continued to lead India and make runs till 2024 came, where his Test average dropped to 24.76. After that 2-0 series win over Bangladesh, Rohit’s life as a Test player was on its last leg.

Rohit had a forgettable time in India’s 3-0 home series defeat to New Zealand, averaging just 15.16. He missed the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth for the birth of his child Ahaan, and on return to the team, his form nosedived sharply. Struggling to break free, Rohit averaged just 6.20 in five innings and also dropped himself for the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as India lost the series 3-1.

Known for his ability to clear the boundary, Sharma's 88 sixes in his Test career saw him end tied with Brian Lara for the ninth most sixes in the format. But despite the Champions Trophy win, it wasn’t enough for Rohit to have the confidence of continuing to lead the Test team. With an eye on creating a Test team for future, Rohit’s Test career came to an immediate end on Wednesday evening – a picture of Test cap 280 and caption expressing gratitude of how his career in whites turned out to be.

Rohit ends his Test career with 4,301 runs coming from 67 Tests at an average of 40.57, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties. In June 2024, Rohit had announced his retirement from T20Is after India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. Rohit’s decision means that a new skipper will be in place for the Indian team when they tour England for a five-match Test series starting on June 20.

With Shubman Gill a front-runner to succeed him, considering Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to be available for all five Test matches in England, Rohit can be proud in having a Test cricket career which had a delayed start, but he was never denied of the success, lows, times of happiness, though he couldn’t avoid a not so sweet end.

In years down the line, one will remember the ‘Hitman’ as someone who success in Tests quashed doubts over whether his immense potential might go unfulfilled – he didn’t let that happen by going about his business in a style best known to him.

--IANS

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