Image: Has Rohit Sharma succeeded in becoming a cricketing legend? / © ESPNcricinfo
Recently, four of the top players from the Indian test team have announced their retirement from the longest format of the game. First, it was Ravichandran Ashwin during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and it was quickly followed by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the Indian Premier League.
Fans knew that a legacy of Test cricket had already ended, but the retirement of Cheteshwar Pujara acted as a final blow to the same. These players were crucial for India’s dominance, established not only in the home series but also overseas wins across Australia, where the team secured a historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy win.
Amidst this tough time being faced by the Indian fans over the uncertainty of the Test team, some fans also argue that Rohit Sharma is not at the level of Kohli, Pujara, and Ashwin when it comes to Test cricket. Although his stats may not have been good enough to be compared with all-time legends, Rohit Sharma was no less than a modern-day legend for the team in this format.
Let’s assess how Rohit Sharma performed for the Indian team from 2012 to 2024, as compared to the top players such as Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ravichandran Ashwin. Also, there are a few reasons why the Hitman was not able to end his Test career with good numbers, which will also be discussed.
From 2012 to 2024, India had only lost two Test series at home and endured a decade-long undefeated streak in the Test series at home. Starting with the loss team suffered under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, against England, India went on to a full domination mode in the Home Tests.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 34 | 55 | 2,535 | 51.73 | 10 | 8 |
| Virat Kohli | 55 | 87 | 4,336 | 55.58 | 14 | 13 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 51 | 80 | 3,839 | 52.58 | 10 | 20 |
| R. Ashwin | 65 | 82 | 1,989 | 26.17 | 4 | 8 |
After the series loss against England, India got its next home series loss against New Zealand in 2024, which was a whitewash. Between this, India secured more than 16 Test series wins at home, and the main reason behind it was the batting dominance of Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Rohit Sharma. Besides that, the spin mastery and capability to bat well of Ashwin can not be ignored.
Rohit Sharma, playing just 34 Test matches for India at home, scored 2535 runs at an average of 51.73, with 10 centuries and 8 half-centuries. From 2019, since he moved up in the batting order, Rohit was able to capitalise on the opportunities to hit boundaries early and set the ball sailing even in the Test format.
Virat Kohli’s dominance was at the next level during this phase, as he played 55 Tests at home and scored 4336 runs at an average of 55.58, with 14 centuries and 13 half-centuries. Ashwin, on the other hand, maintained his home dominance with both ball and bat, taking 383 wickets and scoring 1989 runs in 65 Test matches.
Cheteshwar Pujara, throughout his Test career, remained a key performer for India in the Home Tests. Playing 51 Test matches at home, he scored 3839 runs at an average of 52.58, with 10 centuries and 20 half-centuries. Taking a look at the stats of all the top three batsmen, Rohit Sharma, despite playing fewer games, contributed well to the team in home matches.
With these four players’ contributions to the Test team, India not only established its peak in the Home series, but the team also gained the power to win away Tests. There was a time when it was tough for India to even win a single away Test, but with the contributions of Kohli, Rohit, Pujara, and Ashwin, the team’s peak improved.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | 31 | 57 | 1,644 | 31.01 | 2 | 10 |
| Virat Kohli | 66 | 119 | 4,774 | 41.51 | 16 | 18 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | 50 | 92 | 3,292 | 37.40 | 9 | 15 |
| R. Ashwin | 40 | 67 | 1,485 | 25.60 | 2 | 6 |
Their contributions were vital to keep India at the top spot in the ICC Test rankings, and the team also won the ICC Test Mace two times, while also being the two-time World Test Championship finalists. Rohit Sharma, a former Indian skipper, missed out on most of the away Test series, but gave his best contribution in the games he was included in.
In 31 away games, Rohit Sharma scored 1644 runs at an average of 31.01, with 2 centuries and 10 half-centuries. The numbers may not be huge, but it should be noted that Rohit batted down the order in the majority of the away games he had played for the Indian cricket team.
Virat Kohli, India’s best Test captain, showcased the example of leading from the front even in away games, scoring 4774 runs in 66 Test matches at an average of 41.51, with 16 centuries and 18 half-centuries. Under his captaincy, India secured various historic wins in Australia, England, and even South Africa.
Cheteshwar Pujara, the player who held the number 3 spot even in away games, played 50 matches and scored 3292 runs at an average of 37.40, with 9 centuries and 15 half-centuries. Fans could not forget the contributions given to the Indian team by this batting trio. If any one of them failed to perform in away games, the other two were able to take up the responsibility well.
Ravichandran Ashwin, on the other hand, contributed with both bat and ball in away games too, scoring 1485 runs and taking 150 wickets in 40 matches. Taking a look at the performances with the bat, Rohit Sharma, despite coming down the order in most of the games, was able to give his best to the Indian team just like the other stars.
Rohit Sharma shone as a Test batsman late for the Indian cricket team, and his peak form also came at the time when it was needed the most. Whether it is the Hitman smashing centuries in England or him stepping out against the bowlers in the initial overs, his contributions for the Indian team in Test format remain forever vital, marking his legacy.
Although Rohit Sharma had been an active player for the Indian team in the T20I and ODI formats, he had limited inclusion in the Test team. Due to this reason, despite being in the Test team for more than a decade, the Hitman played just 67 Test matches before he retired from the biggest format of the game in May 2025. Here are a few reasons why Rohit Sharma was a late bloomer for the Indian team in the Test format:
One of the major reasons why Rohit Sharma has not levelled with stars like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara in the Test format is his batting position. At the time Rohit Sharma made his debut for the Indian team in the Test format, the team already had various openers, leaving no room for him.
| Position | Matches | Innings | Runs | High Score | Average | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 18 | 29 | 1,226 | 161 | 43.78 | 3 | 5 |
| 2nd | 25 | 37 | 1,471 | 212 | 42.02 | 6 | 3 |
| 3rd | 4 | 5 | 107 | 53 | 21.40 | 0 | 1 |
| 4th | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 4.00 | 0 | 0 |
| 5th | 9 | 16 | 437 | 79 | 29.13 | 0 | 3 |
| 6th | 18 | 28 | 1,056 | 177 | 48.00 | 3 | 6 |
Therefore, Rohit Sharma had to come down the order, even after Virat Kohli, to bat, and sometimes this even left him playing with the lower-order batsmen. The majority of the Test matches he had played in his Test career involved him playing for the team down the order.
In 2019, when the Indian team tried Rohit Sharma as an opener in the Test format, his success was next level, which also helped Rohit to create his best Test year. He played 5 Test matches this year and scored 566 runs at an average of 92.66, with 3 centuries. Thus, the Hitman acquired an opening slot for the Indian team, several years after making his debut in the Test format.
Rohit Sharma also missed out on opportunities to play for the Indian team in the Test format numerous times. And this happened due to the injuries he encountered in his early stages, which kept him out of the game for months. During 2014, he injured his finger and was kept away from action for months, missing out on the Test series against England.
Later in 2016, he suffered an injury in his thigh muscles, which kept him out of action for approximately 3 months. At this time, he again missed playing the Test matches against England. After he recovered from the same, he started to receive some regular opportunities for the team in the Test format, till his injuries returned.
In 2019-20, he missed out on the Test series against New Zealand due to a calf injury, and this was quickly followed by yet another injury in his left hamstring, due to which he missed the South Africa tour. Such injuries had a huge impact on the Test career of Rohit Sharma, as he ended up with many fewer opportunities than he could have received.
Still, the legacy of the Hitman continues in the Test format, being remembered by the fans. He had been a great asset to the Indian team in this format, both as a captain and an opening batsman. Moreover, it should be noted that Rohit Sharma remained India’s top run scorer in the World Test Championship history from 2019 to 2023, with 2716 runs in 40 matches at an average of 41.15, with 9 centuries and 8 half-centuries.