Rohit Sharma, the captain of India’s Test team, is expected to be out of the squad for the Test series in England, starting on June 16, India Today reported on March 27.
Rohit Sharma’s patchy form in Tests
Rohit Sharma scored 164 runs at an average of 10.9 in the 8 Test matches he played since the start of the Indian home season last September. Rohit registered only one fifty, and failed to enter double-digits on 10 occasions. The captain opted out of the final Test match of the 5-match series against Australia, when the series was still on the line at 2-1.
Rohit Sharma, speaking to Star Sports on day 2 of the 5th Test, clarified that his decision to skip the Sydney Test was not a retirement, but rather a temporary “standing down” due to his lack of form. Jasprit Bumrah, the vice-captain of the team, led the side in Rohit’s absence. Bumrah also led India to a surprise victory in the first Test against Australia in Perth, when Rohit was in Mumbai to attend to his wife, who gave birth to a baby daughter. Rohit played the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Tests and scored 31 runs in 5 innings.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, is expected to retain his place in the squad. Kohli fared slightly better than Rohit since last September. In 19 Innings, Kohli made 382 runs at an average of 22.5, He started the Australia tour by scoring a fluent century in the season opener at Perth. However, his form nose-dived and Kohli managed to add just 85 runs in the next four matches. Kohli mostly got out to balls outside the off stump. India lost the series 3-1 to Australia and failed to qualify for the final of the World Test Championship, set to be played in June.
The slide started even before the Indian team reached Australia. They suffered their first-ever whitewash in home conditions, when they lost 3-0 to New Zealand, who were without their greatest-ever batter, Kane Williamson. India lost 4 home Tests in total in 2024, the joint worst year since 1969.
Rohit Sharma has captained India in 24 Tests and managed to post 12 wins and 9 defeats.
