Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised serious concerns about India captain Rohit Sharma‘s place in the Test team amidst his prolonged slump in form after India suffered a 184 run defeat in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pathan suggested that Rohit’s current inclusion in the playing XI owes more to his role as captain than his performances with the bat. His remarks come as the cricketing world debates Rohit’s future in the longest format following another string of poor scores in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rohit’s batting woes have been a significant factor in India’s underwhelming campaign against Australia. Across five innings in the series, the 37-year-old has managed a paltry 31 runs at an average of 6.20, including two ducks. This is the second-lowest series average for a top-six batter in Test cricket history for India in Australia.
His inability to convert starts, coupled with a lack of rhythm against Australia’s disciplined bowling attack, has placed Rohit under intense scrutiny. Rohit faced 40 balls on Day 5 but managed just nine runs before being dismissed by Australia captain Pat Cummins.
“A player who has made about 20,000 runs—yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all. What’s happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team. K.L. Rahul would have been playing at the top. Jaiswal would have been there. Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI,” Irfan Pathan told Star Sports.
Pathan argued that if not for his captaincy, India might have fielded other in-form options such as KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, or Shubman Gill at the top of the order. “But because he is the captain, and you want to win the next match to draw the series, he stays in the team. But his form is so poor. Even in India, even before coming here, he wasn’t scoring runs, and he still hasn’t scored runs. This is a very disappointing scene when I see Rohit Sharma batting. Because whenever I see Rohit Sharma batting, I always want to see him bat. Whether it is test cricket or one-day cricket, But now, his form, the way he is going forward, whether it is his mindset or the coordination with his body, I can’t see that at all,” he added.
Rohit’s form in early 2024 was a stark contrast to his struggles in Australia. Against England at home, he accumulated 455 runs in a high-scoring series, raising hopes of a resurgence in his Test career. However, since then, his performances have spiraled downward, with the ongoing series marking a particularly dismal phase.
The Boxing Day Test further exposed Rohit’s frailties. Facing Cummins and company, Rohit showed grit in patches but failed to make an impact. His longest stint at the crease in the series—a 40-ball stay for just nine runs—underscored the struggles that have plagued him throughout the tour.
Rohit’s captaincy record has also come under fire. India’s 184-run defeat in Melbourne extended their winless streak under his leadership to six Tests, including a 0-3 home whitewash against New Zealand in late 2024.
Topics mentioned in this article
