Rohit Sharma of Mumbai Indians (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)
Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket and bid farewell to a fine career divided into two distinct halves. He was a very mediocre middle-order batter for the first 27 matches of his Test career, with a batting average of just under 40. However, just like in ODI cricket, his fortunes changed dramatically when he was pushed to open for the country. From the Visakhapatnam Test of 2019 until the Dharamsala Test of 2024, Rohit—the Test batter—averaged 50 and became not only one of the premier openers in the world but also India’s leading batter in the format.
RG analyses Rohit Sharma’s Test career.
Early Struggles and Setbacks
Rohit had a great start to his Test career, scoring two hundreds in his first two outings for India, but then saw his form decline significantly. He had an aggregate of just 1,585 runs in his first 27 Tests at an average of 39.6. Rohit had a high failure rate (almost 50%, failing in 13 of the 27 Tests he played) and registered just three hundreds and 10 fifties during this period (from his debut in November 2013 until the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne in 2018).
Rohit had woeful numbers outside India, scoring just 816 runs in 18 away Tests at an average of 26.3 without a single century abroad. Although already a modern great in limited-overs cricket, Rohit—the Test batter—was at a crossroads and had limited chances left to prove his worth in whites.
Rise as a Test Opener
With his Test career hanging by a thread, Rohit was promoted to open for India as a last resort to save his spot in the XI. Little did the cricket world know what lay ahead. Rohit seized the opportunity spectacularly, smashing centuries in both innings of the series opener against South Africa in Visakhapatnam, becoming the sixth Indian batter to achieve this unique feat. This stunning performance marked the birth of Rohit Sharma—the Test opener—and turned a new page for India in Test cricket.
Dominance at the Top
From the Visakhapatnam Test in October 2019 to the end of the home series against England in Dharamsala in March 2024, Rohit—the Test opener—rose to new heights, becoming one of the premier top-order batters in the world. He was the leading run-scorer among openers globally in this period, accumulating 2,552 runs in 32 matches at an average of 50.03, including nine centuries and seven fifties.
Among the 15 openers who scored at least 1,000 runs across a minimum of 10 Tests during this period, only Dimuth Karunaratne (52.4) had a higher average. No opening batter recorded more centuries than Rohit’s nine in these four and a half years.
Timely Heroics Under Pressure
Rohit’s emergence as a reliable Test opener coincided with a challenging phase for India’s “Big Three.” Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara, and Ajinkya Rahane experienced poor runs in 2020 and 2021, placing greater responsibility on Rohit to score crucial runs under pressure. His innings of 161 off just 231 deliveries against England in Chennai in 2021 (when India were 0-1 down in the series) is widely considered among the greatest Test hundreds by any batter on Indian soil.
During this period, Rohit played 20 home Tests, amassing 1,633 runs at an average of 54.43 and a strike rate of 65.4—the most by any Indian batter at home. His rapid scoring demoralized opposing bowlers and created ample time for India’s bowlers to dismiss their opponents twice.
Overseas Transformation
The significant change in Rohit’s Test batting came in overseas conditions. He scored 919 runs in 12 Tests away from India, averaging 43.76 with two centuries and five fifties. From vital opening partnerships with Shubman Gill in Brisbane and Sydney, to his crucial 83 in India’s historic win at Lord’s, and finally his maiden overseas century at the Oval in September 2021, Rohit—the Test opener—grew significantly, contributing to some of India’s most memorable victories abroad.
Final Slump and Legacy
Rohit suffered a major slump in his final eight Tests, managing only 164 runs in 15 innings at a disappointing average of 10.93. These included two home Tests against Bangladesh, three against New Zealand, and three away Tests in Australia.
However, Rohit Sharma’s legacy as a Test batter is secured by his remarkable performances between October 2019 and March 2024—a period when other Indian batters struggled. Rohit rose to the occasion and consistently delivered when his team needed him the most.
Nikhil Narain is a die-hard cricket romantic, published author, and has worked for some of the leading digital websites and broadcasters in India and overseas. An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Nikhil's forte is using data and numbers creatively to weave interesting stories and revolutionize the way cricket statistics are generated and analyzed.
