Rohit Sharma could quit Test cricket after the Australia series© AFP
The talks around India captain Rohit Sharma‘s potential retirement from Test cricket have intensified with the team’s bitter defeat to Australia in the 4th Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday. India’s defeat in the match makes World Test Championship (WTC) qualification quite difficult while Rohit’s form with the bat does make it difficult for the management to fit him in the XI. Suggestions are that the Sydney Test is likely to be Rohit’s last in the longest format, and Australia great Justin Langer also spotted an ‘unusually emotional’ India skipper on Day 5 at MCG, hinting that the end is near for him.
Langer said that Rohit was unusually emotional on the field at MCG on Day 5 of the 4th Test, which could be seen as a hint behind his potential exit from the format. The former Australia batter also feels Rohit is quite tired, with the stress of the game getting to his nerves.
“Rohit Sharma looks very tired to me. I saw him quite emotional on the field yesterday. That’s unusual for us to see Rohit like that. He’s usually so calm, so chilled out. But he was showing his emotions; he looks tired. It’s understandable because as a cricketer, when you’re not making runs, that’s all that stays on your mind. And as captain, if you’re not making runs and your team is not winning, the stress starts to come into the game. Whether he can get up for Sydney, that’s up to him. It’s a big challenge. India need him to get up to speed in Sydney,” Langer said after the end of the game.
Langer, however, doesn’t have the same opinion on Virat Kohli. He feels Virat still has a few years of top-level cricket to offer and he has what it takes to improve his form.
“With Virat, I agree [with Ravi Shastri]. He looked excellent in that first innings. Maybe the run out [of Jaiswal] did ruffle him, but we were surprised to see him get out the way he did. He is still a great player, is in outstanding physical condition, and all Indians would be hoping he comes good,” he asserted.
Shastri also feels the end is near for Rohit in Tests but Kohli is likely to play for a few more years.
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