Michael Atherton, the former captain of England, recently discussed Rohit Sharma‘s abrupt departure from Test cricket, saying that the Indian skipper’s recent run of bad results and decline in form did not surprise him.
On May 7, just before India’s Test team was selected for the England tour, Rohit announced his retirement on Instagram, capping an 11-year red-ball career. Many people questioned if he had complete control of the selection process just days before the England series team was scheduled to be announced. Atherton also wondered if the Nagpur-born person’s decision was his own or the result of outside influences.
“Did he make the decision to quit entirely on his own, or did he sense that he was about to be pushed or that the axe was coming because Rohit had reported the day before the announcement that the selectors had made the decision to move on? We don’t know, so it’s just conjecture, but in the end, the choice wasn’t shocking because, as you are aware, it’s a horrible mix for any captain, and I am well aware that if you’re losing games and not scoring runs, you’re losing.
Additionally, India had lost five of the previous six games while Rohit was captain. His form had really deteriorated after three games against New Zealand and a couple in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is obviously a horrible combination for any captain, Atherton remarked in an interview with Sky Sports.
The skill pool in Indian cricket is enormous: Michael Atherton
A combination of form slumps and unsatisfactory team outcomes marked the 38-year-old’s final season in Test cricket. India lost a 1-3 series in Australia and was eliminated from the World Test Championship Final after being thrashed 0-3 at home by New Zealand. The right-handed batsman “stood down” of the final Test in Sydney, claiming he didn’t contribute, and only managed 31 runs in three Test matches in Australia. Atherton supports India’s new talent pool and thinks age had a significant role in the choice.
“He is 38 years old. The skill pool in Indian cricket is enormous. You won’t be as patient when form or outcomes don’t go your way because of the competition and the quality and depth of talent. Therefore, I didn’t find it particularly surprising in that regard. But when a Test career ends, it’s always heartbreaking. He was an important cricket player. “The statistics and record don’t indicate that they are at the top of the Test cricket rankings,” Atherton continued.
Rohit’s outstanding white-ball career was also mentioned by the former English captain, who thinks his Test career was “funny” and that he had to wait a long time to make his red-ball cricket debut. Rohit’s red-ball career was given a second shot in 2019 after he struggled for years in the middle order. He produced a number of noteworthy knocks after being moved to open.
“I believe he will be watched, and ODI cricket is his preferred format. Isn’t he going to be remembered as one of the best ODI openers? A humorous Test career, though. He had to wait a long time to be admitted, and after nearly two half of Test cricket, his final average of slightly over 40 with a dozen hundreds indicates that his record is successful but not particularly outstanding,” he said.
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