India captain Rohit Sharma’s career is in danger if he doesn’t score in the upcoming three innings of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test series against Australia, as performer Australia cricketer Mark Waugh.
Rohit Sharma is under severe pressure as he has not scored many runs in Tests in the year 2024. In 8 Tests in 2025-25 season, Rohit Sharma has 155 runs in 14 innings at an average of 11.07 and best score of 52.
His troubles were highlighted even more during the Australian trip, as he only scored 21 runs in four innings. Sharma initially batted at No. 6 to accommodate KL Rahul as an opener before returning to his traditional opening slot in Melbourne, but his fortunes did not improve.
Mark Waugh bats for Jasprit Bumrah as India captain in Melbourne in place of Rohit Sharma
Speaking to Fox Cricket, Mark Waugh did not mince words, suggesting that Sharma’s second innings in Melbourne would be pivotal.
“If I was a selector now, it depends what happens in the second innings, but if he doesn’t make runs … I’d be saying, ‘Rohit, thank you for your service. You’ve been a great player, but we’re going to bring in Jasprit Bumrah as captain for the SCG. The signs are there that he’s past his best. It happens to all players. All great players come to an end at some stage,” Waugh told Fox Cricket.
While former Australian batter Mike Hussey suggested the idea of underlying mental or physical issues hurting Sharma’s game, Waugh dismissed the necessity for additional investigation, citing the stats.
“The numbers don’t lie. Even his movement in the field and his tactical decisions have been off the pace,” Waugh said, further noting a decline in Sharma’s overall impact on the game.
Rohit Sharma’s contributions to Indian cricket acknowledged by Mark Waugh
Waugh recognized Sharma’s contributions to Indian cricket but emphasized that his prior accomplishments should not excuse him from accountability.
“I think they’ve given him leniency already because he’s been a great player for India, but at some stage, that leniency has to stop. It stops after this Test match unless he makes runs in the second innings,” Waugh concluded.
Rohit Sharma, who scored a single-digit score in the first innings in MCG, will need to score big in the second innings as India is set to chase a total in excess of 333 runs.
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