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"I Put Him Under Pressure" Shastri's Bold Move Transformed Rohit Sharma's Test Career

Akshita Patel

Ravi Shastri on transforming Rohit Sharma's Test career [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]Ravi Shastri on transforming Rohit Sharma's Test career [Source: @CricCrazyJohns/X.com]

Rohit Sharma's Test career was not without its hiccups, but one vital call by then India coach Ravi Shastri in 2019 turned his life around. For years, Rohit was struggling as a middle-order batsman, but thanks to a courageous call by Shastri, he emerged as one of India's greatest openers.

Prior to 2019, Rohit was also a white-ball cricket superstar. He had ruled ODIs and T20Is, particularly the 2019 World Cup, where he hammered 5 centuries.

But in Tests, his performances were erratic. Batting at No. 6 or 5, Rohit tended to get bored and wasted his wicket after scoring 20s and 30s.

Ravi Shastri Promoted Rohit Sharma As Opener In Test

The then Indian head coach Ravi Shastri noticed this and had a different idea. He realised that Rohit Sharma loved batting early in ODIs and felt that he could do the same in Tests. 

Shastri believed that with his skills, Rohit could face fast bowlers confidently and enjoy the challenge. He thought opening in Tests could feel like a "honeymoon" phase for Rohit if he embraced it. 

"Batting at four, five, this guy used to get bored. Then I started dwelling on the fact, why is he so successful in one-day cricket? He likes to be out there early. I said, if he can go out there and do it, he has got enough time on his hands to play the quicks. He's got the shots against the quicks, to take them on. The field is up, so Test cricket might be a honeymoon for him if he starts embracing it," Shastri told ICC.

He also spoke with then-captain Virat Kohli before the West Indies tour in 2019 and convinced Rohit to open. In his first-ever Test as an opening batsman, Sharma made a century. From that day on, he never stopped.

"He'd batted enough at five and six and he wasn't here and he wasn't there. He would get his 20s or 30s and throw it away. (I thought) let's put him under pressure and send him up (the order). And I remember telling him in the West Indies 'we want you to open'.  Then he came in for the first Test match and he opened the innings and he got a hundred. If I'm not mistaken, he got a big 100 in that first innings and then he didn't look back because then he seemed to enjoy it," he added.

By the time Rohit retired from Test cricket on May 7, 2025, he had scored 4301 runs in 67 matches, including 2697 runs as an opener.

Did Gambhir Compel Virat, Rohit To Retire From Test Cricket?

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma reportedly wanted to play the England Test series, but coach Gautam Gambhir insisted on younger players in the fresh WTC cycle. Although both seniors claimed they wished to continue, the BCCI and selectors supported Gambhir's vision, in effect halting their red-ball careers.