The regular Test and ODI captain of India, Rohit Sharma, has found himself in a critical position after his struggle in the recently finished five-match Test series in Australia during the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, which resulted in him getting dropped for the final red-ball clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Rohit Sharma missed the opening game of the series at the Optus Stadium in Perth due to the birth of his second child before returning to the national side in the middle order during the second day-night affair at the Adelaide Oval on the back of the 161-run opening stand between KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. But things went downhill with the bat.
The Mumbai batter decided to promote himself back to the opening position for the fourth Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) but was not in a great mindset to tackle. He finished the BGT 2024-25 with the help of just 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20 with the best score of ten.
Brad Hogg lauds Rohit Sharma for getting omitted for the fifth SCG Test
The decision to opt out of the New Year’s Test has raised questions about whether Rohit Sharma has already played his final red-ball encounter for India and won’t be part of their upcoming five-match series in England. There were also doubts over his selection for the upcoming home ODI series against England, followed by the Champions Trophy 2025, where India will play all of their games at the Dubai International Stadium until being alive.
The former left-arm wrist spinner of Australia, Brad Hogg, has questioned the nature of the dismissals of the batter, pointing out how the right-handed batter has failed to contribute in the longest format over the last six to seven Test matches.
“I think Rohit Sharma is probably finished right now out at the Test level. He should have moved on. His form over the last 6-7 months has not been great.” The former spinner expressed in a video shared on his YouTube channel.
“He is getting bowled, LBW, and as an opener, those types of dismissals shouldn’t be happening early on in the innings. LBW, yes, but shouldn’t be getting bowled between bat and pad.” The ex-bowler of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) highlighted.
It was a smooth start for the veteran in the previous year 2024, in the longest format before the graph went down after the start of the home season against Bangladesh and later against New Zealand, against whom he collected just 91 runs in six innings at an average of 15 with just one half-century.
Rohit Sharma, who has grabbed 4301 runs in 116 Test innings at an average of 40.57 with a strike rate of 57.05 with the help of 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries at the best score of 212, could manage only 619 runs in the previous year in 26 innings at an average of 24.76, shouldering on two centuries and as many fifties with the best score of 131.
Brad Hogg has lauded the decision of Rohit to leave his place for the SCG Test, reflecting that he should have done that at the MCG rather than going back to open.
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“It’s a little bit disappointing with the form now, and I think the red-ball game, he did the right thing in Australia, probably should’ve done it in the Melbourne Test and let Gill play in that Test as well,” Hogg mentioned.
“When it comes to ODI cricket, I still think he’s got a lot to offer. You can play a little bit more aggressively and with freedom as well. But age is starting to be the wrong side of the ledger for Rohit Sharma. He’s had a wonderful career; there’s no doubt about that. I hope for his and India’s sake, he just it on a high whenever he wants to.” The former Western Australian spinner concluded.