New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): As the world reminisces over Rohit Sharma’s Test career following his retirement, one could easily notice the joyous highs and painful lows it has had, which will stay in minds of cricketing fraternity and fans forever for what they stand for and for what they teach.
The ‘Hitman’ has seen it all in Tests. After making noise in the Mumbai domestic circuit for his knocks in the longer format, it took six years for Rohit to get his Test cap in 2013 after his international debut in 2007. Even after getting the coveted cap, it took the right-hander years to find the consistency and rhythm that could justify his immense talent.
An unstoppable beast at home, but extremely inconsistent away from home, is the story of his entire career. While the home crowd has been treated to a ‘Hitman’ special plenty of times, his fans in the other parts of the world, travelling to the stadiums with their hard-earned money, have often been left wanting more. Flashes of absolute genius, undeniable technical skill, are surrounded by a myriad of instances when the batter was just too inconsistent and would throw away his wicket.
Here is a full look of Rohit’s interesting and puzzling journey as a Test cricketer, at home and away:
-Home
Rohit has a fine Test record at home, with 2,535 runs made in 34 Tests at an average of 51.73, with 10 centuries and eight fifties in 55 innings, with the best score of 212. He kickstarted his Test run in middle-order with a fine 177 against West Indies on debut at Wankhede Stadium in 2013, which also happened to be Sachin Tendulkar’s final Test.
He kickstarted his revival in Tests as an opener at home, scoring blazing 176 and 127 against South Africa in Visakhapatnam including 13 sixes spread across both the innings which swept Proteas away and left them miles short of a win by 203 runs. This South Africa series was his best series at home, scoring 532 runs in three matches at an average of 132.25, with three tons and the best score of 212, which came during the final Test at Ranchi.
During his run in the middle-order from 2013-18, Rohit scored 769 runs in nine Tests at home at an average of 85.44, with three centuries and five fifties in 14 innings and the best score of 177.
However, once promoted as an opener, his batting average declined from 85.44 to 44.15, even though he scored 2,674 runs in 25 Tests and 41 innings, with seven centuries and three fifties, with the best score of 212.
As a captain at home, Rohit led India in 16 Tests, winning 10, losing five and drawing one. The highest points of his Test captaincy at home include defence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in 2023 by 2-1 and a young Indian side, without Virat Kohli and an injured KL Rahul, defeated ‘Bazball’ ‘-charged England by 4-1 last year. However, at home, India has experienced its lowest of the lows in recent times under Rohit, when they lost their first-ever home Test series to New Zealand last year by 3-0, their first-ever whitewash at home.
Batting at home as a captain, Rohit made 865 runs in 28 innings at an average of 30.89, with three centuries and two fifties, with the best score of 131.
-Away
Away from home, including two ICC World Test Championship final matches at neutral venues in UK, Rohit has an underwhelming record, scoring 1,766 runs in 33 Tests and 61 innings at an average of 30.98. He has scored just two away centuries and 10 fifties with the best score of 127.
His best record as an overseas batter is in the West Indies, with 290 runs in four Tests and five innings at an average of 58.00, a century and two fifties.
The success in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) conditions is a hallmark of every great Indian batter. Performances in these lands, where India has been weak historically, become a measuring stick that determines an Indian batters’ all-round batting technique to deal with seam, swing and turn.
Unfortunately for Rohit, he has not tasted a lot of success in SENA conditions. In 25 Tests played across these nations, Rohit has managed just 1,268 runs at an average of just 28.17, only a century and six fifties in 49 innings.
These statistics get even worse when one revisits his “middle-order” batter era. In 18 Tests across all overseas nations from 2013-18, Rohit scored just 816 runs at an average of just 26.32 in 33 innings, with just five half-centuries and the best score of 79.
The brutal SENA conditions did not spare him during his non-opener days, as he could score just 558 runs in 12 Tests and 24 innings at an average of 25.36, with three fifties to his name and the best score of 72.
These numbers though, did see an improvement once he was elevated to opening. Since becoming an opener, Rohit has scored 828 runs in 13 away Tests at an average of 37.63, with two centuries and five fifties in 24 innings and best score of 127.
In SENA conditions as an opener, though he still got tested by early movement on the pitch, the Hitman’s batting average did touch the 30-mark. In 13 Tests as an opener in SENA conditions, Rohit scored 710 runs at an average of 30.86, with a century and three fifties in 25 innings and the best score of 127.
Rohit’s peak in overseas conditions came in the Pataudi Trophy against England in 2021-22, top-scoring for India with 368 runs in four matches and eight innings at an average of 52.57, with a century and two fifties. His knock of 127 remains his only century in South Africa, England, New Zealand and South Africa (SENA) countries.
A breakdown of his SENA countries’ statistics (overall):
South Africa: 183 runs in six matches, 12 innings, average of 16.63, best score of 47.
England: 524 runs in seven Tests and 14 innings at an average of 40.30, with a century and two fifties. His best score is 127.
New Zealand: 122 runs in two Tests, four innings at an average of 40.66, with a half-century and best score of 72.
Australia: 439 runs in 10 Tests, 19 innings at an average of 24.38, with three fifties. His best score is 63*.
Under Rohit’s captaincy, India won only two Tests away from home out of eight, losing four and drawing two. Out of this, one win came in the West Indies and one in South Africa. In SENA conditions, though as a captain, Rohit could win only one out of six Tests, losing four and drawing one.
Rohit could not deliver much as a batter in overseas conditions as a captain, scoring 389 runs in eight matches and 14 innings at an average of 29.92, with a century and two fifties to his name. These numbers slide down considerably in SENA conditions, where he could score just 149 runs in six Tests at a poor average of 14.90 and best score of 43 in his 11 innings.
-Which opponents bring the best out of Rohit?
West Indies is an opponent that has brought the best out of Rohit, scoring 578 runs in six Tests and seven innings at an average of 96.33, with three centuries and two fifties. His best score is 177.
Including his statistics at home, Rohit has much better statistics against SENA countries.
Here is a breakdown of his statistics against SENA countries:
South Africa: 738 runs in 11 Tests and 20 innings at an average of 38.84, with three tons and the best score of 212.
England: 1147 runs in 14 Tests and 26 innings at an average of 47.79, with four centuries and four fifties and best score of 161.
New Zealand: 515 runs in nine Tests and 17 innings at an average of 36.78, with five fifties and the best score of 82.
Australia: 739 runs in 15 Tests, 27 innings at an average of 28.42, with a century and three fifties.
Looking through these statistics makes for a very interesting reading and leave one with a lot of ‘what ifs’ in his mind regarding what Rohit could have been in Test cricket. But nonetheless, after an underwhelming run from 2013-18, during which he played just 27 Tests, scoring 1,585 runs at an average of 39.63, with three centuries and 10 fifties in 47 innings, his turnaround to a reliable Test opener deserves a lot of celebration. (ANI)
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