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Rohit Sharma To Be Dropped From Tests? India Has 3 Reasons To Replace Star Batter

Debashis Sarangi

Rohit Sharma has been disappointing with the bat of late [Source: AP]Rohit Sharma has been disappointing with the bat of late [Source: AP]

India had a dream start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, winning the first game of the five-match series by a whopping margin of 295 runs. However, the visitors couldn't sustain their purple patch for too long, with the Aussies bouncing back with a clinical performance in the pink ball Test in Adelaide. 

Regarding Rohit Sharma, the Indian captain looked out of sorts with the bat, managing two consecutive single-digit scores in the high-voltage clash. Despite demoting himself to the middle-order, the legendary Mumbai batter failed to live up to the expectations, scoring only nine runs in the Test match. 

Apart from his batting, Rohit has been under fire for his tactical shortcomings since India's infamous home series defeat against New Zealand. So, as the Mumbaikar seems lacklustre at the moment, here are three reasons why India should think beyond him as far as Tests are concerned. 

Why Should India Drop Rohit Sharma From Tests?

Rohit Sharma's Prolonged Rough Patch In Tests

  • After being promoted to the top-order, Rohit Sharma managed to turn things around in Tests, emerging as one of India's most valuable assets for a brief period. 
  • However, his recent performances have been horrendous, to say the least. In 12 Test matches this year, Rohit has managed only 597 runs at a poor average of 27.14. More importantly, he has looked absolutely clueless against the moving ball around the off-stump channel, recording nine single-digit scores in his last 23 innings. 
  • Therefore, considering his lean patch in Tests, it's a matter of time before the BCCI asks him to step down from captaincy and make room for a youngster in the Indian batting line-up. 

Rohit Sharma, the Test captain, needs to be changed

  • Apart from his shambolic batting performances, Rohit has been scrutinised for his leadership in Test cricket. He recently entered an unwanted list of Indian captains who have conceded a clean sweep at home. Under his captaincy, India incurred a humiliating whitewash against New Zealand, a team Sri Lanka had previously defeated. 
  • Rohit's knack for playing the waiting game instead of turning things around with plan B has resulted in his downfall as the Indian Test skipper. 
  • As he has succeeded in T20Is, he tends to adopt the defensive route much earlier than his predecessors, something that has hampered his success in the purest format. So, his defensive captaincy might prompt India to hand over the reins to a more positive and aggressive mind like Jasprit Bumrah. 

Perfect Time For India To Prepare The Roadmap For Next WTC Cycle

  • At this point, Rohit must've realised the decline in his batting prowess, which is why he persisted with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top order. So, considering the captain is at the twilight of his career, India must look beyond him, with the current WTC cycle set to conclude in June 2025. 
  • In such a scenario, Rahul and Jaiswal should be India's first-choice openers, and they can rope in the likes of B Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the reserve top-order batters.