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 feels that Rohit's inclusion in the playing XI is more because of his role as captain rather than his batting performances. His comments come at a time when the cricketing world is discussing Rohit's future in the longest format after another string of poor scores in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rohit's batting has been a major reason for India's disappointing campaign against Australia. In five innings in the series, the 37-year-old has scored a meager 31 runs at an average of 6.20, with 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. Now, what's happening is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he was 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 speak about reality, going by the struggle he was making with the bat, perhaps no place for him in the playing XI," says Irfan Pathan of Star Sports.
Pathan countered that had his captaincy been not there then India could also have opened their innings with another in-form cricketer - KL Rahul or Yashasvi Jaiswal or even Shubman Gill.
"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 could not be compared to what was seen during the Australia series. He had collected 455 runs in a home series against England, raising hope for his comeback in Test cricket. However, since then, his performance graph has declined precipitously. The ongoing series is a case in point of his poor show.
The Boxing Day Test exposed Rohit's frailties even further. Faced by Cummins and his mates, Rohit had grit in patches but did nothing of consequence for the team. His longest sojourn at the crease in the series was a 40-ball sojourn with nine runs-a reflection of all the struggles he has faced so far on tour.
Rohit's leadership record has also been criticized. India suffered an 184-run defeat in Melbourne, which makes it six successive Tests without a win under his captaincy. This includes the 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home in late 2024.
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