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India captain Rohit Sharma reportedly had retirement plans in his head after fourth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). However, he was persuaded to reconsider his decision by his 'well wishers'. Rohit's return to the opening position for the Boxing Day Test, which resulted in Shubman Gill being dropped from the playing XI, did not change India's fortune. His struggles with the bat continued, and India suffered a comprehensive defeat.
"Rohit had made up his mind after MCG. Had his well wishers from the outside didn't force him to change his mind, we could have well seen another retirement in Australia," a source privy to the development told Times of India.
Rohit Sharma initially decided to retire from Test cricket after a string of poor performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He scored only 31 runs in five innings and suffered six defeats in his last six Tests as captain. However, he reversed this decision before the final Test in Sydney, a move that reportedly did not sit well with head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Rohit's absence from slip cordon during the team's final training session in Australia further fueled speculation about a strained relationship with Gambhir. Although he was not included in the squad for the final Test, Rohit assured fans that he would continue to play Test cricket. He explained in an interview with Star Sports that he believed it was not the right time for him to play while his form was struggling.
The strained relationship between coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma appears to be more significant than his recent poor run of form. Disagreements between the two have surfaced on various matters throughout recent series, ranging from team selection to match-day decisions such as the toss.
Despite these differences, Gambhir and Rohit are currently obliged to work together. The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy will see them reunited, potentially marking the final ODI appearances for several senior Indian cricketers. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja have already retired from T20Is, leaving uncertainty surrounding their future in the ODI format beyond this tournament.
Rohit Sharma's dismal Test outing
Rohit's lean patch spanned through the year 2024. Across the three series he played so far in India's season, two of which were at home, Rohit scored only 164 runs in 15 innings at a shocking average of just 10.93, with one half-century score. Of those, 31 runs came in the ongoing tour of Australia, where he managed just one double-digit score. Rohit's average at the end of the double failure in Melbourne stood just 6.20, the lowest-ever batting average for a touring captain in a Test series in Australia (minimum five innings). Previously, the record belonged to West Indies bowling legend Courtney Walsh, who had recorded an average of just 7.75 in the 1996/97 tour of Australia.
