Leg and Off: Can Rohit Sharma make a comeback to the Indian Test team after BGT 2024-25?

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma's Test career is at a serious crossroads, to an extent where there is no concrete evidence behind his absence from the playing XI. He has come out and stated that he opted out of his own volition, but that particular thought is also hardly comforting.

Irrespective of whether he opted out or was dropped, the fact is that such a measure needed to be taken because he was becoming a liability for his side. With no runs under his belt, regardless of the position, and questionable captaincy, India were getting nowhere.

In his eye-catching interview with Star Sports during Day 2 of the fifth Test in Sydney, Rohit Sharma maintained that his absence from the playing XI is just a one-off, and he does not intend to retire.

However, reports suggest a contrary picture. There have been claims that selectors had informed Rohit Sharma of their decision to move on from him after the Border-Gavaskar series, which changes the narrative altogether, ruling out a comeback, making it out of question.

On that note, let us dissect, and determine whether a a red-ball comeback for Rohit Sharma is plausible or not.

#1 Next-gen top-order is not entirely secure and reliable

Rohit Sharma has not been among the runs in the recent past, and has looked uncomfortable the majority of his time at the crease. However, that has been the case for several other Indian batters too. His shot selection has also been dubious, but again, the same case applies to the rest as well.

The candidates who have replaced him have also not presented a strong enough case to be given a long rope, and have not outdone Rohit Sharma by a large stretch.

KL Rahul's umpteenth stint as an opener is hardly reliable and can collapse at any time due to his inconsistency. The ability might be there, but it means for naught if the runs are not coming. Yashasvi Jaiswal is arguably the first-choice opener now, but Shubman Gill at No. 3 does not have the same luxury.

The youngster's technique and temperament, especially the latter, were completely exposed during the Australia tour. Day by day, he is making a case against himself. With KL Rahul currently the closest to a No. 3 batter that India have in their mix, it might not take many more failures for India to revert back to the Boxing Day top-order of Rohit Sharma-Yashasvi Jaiswal-KL Rahul.

Furthermore, with no bonafide reserve opening batter in place, India do not have huge names to turn to if their current top-order fails. It would be rough for the likes of Abhimanyu Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad to be thrown into the deep end in England, when an experienced option in Rohit Sharma is available.

#2 Getting back into the red-ball side on the basis of white-ball merit is a realistic route

Team India do not have any red-ball cricket for the next six months, but that does not mean there is no cricket at all. Rohit Sharma has a bilateral ODI series against England, the 2025 Champions Trophy, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 to look forward to.

Considering that it is his favored format, it naturally becomes the most realistic avenue for him to mount a comeback.

His performances in those matches should not be directly interpreted into red-ball success. But, it is certainly worth relying on it, as several issues could be addressed through that.

Rohit Sharma's recent struggles with the bat were put down to poor shot selection, lack of footwork, poor reflexes, and waning hand-eye coordination. All of these traits could decide his fate in white-ball cricket too, and if he succeeds there, then there is a glimmer of a comeback.

If he manages to put up decent displays over the next couple of months, it could prove to be enough to be part of the England tour. On condition that he manages to apply himself as he did during the last tour, and assuming that there are no issues with his fitness, he can realistically play the home season too, if not the entire cycle.

Ajinkya Rahane is a recent example in this case. He was deemed a finished prospect after being dropped from the squad in 2022. He was axed following the poor 2021-22 tour of South Africa, and was not considered for the home series against Sri Lanka, the tour of Bangladesh, and the Border-Gavaskar series that followed.

However, a stunning IPL 2023 season with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), coupled with injuries to KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, facilitated his return to the squad for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, where he was by far India's best batter.

#3 England won't be any kinder than Australia

Rohit Sharma needed to have a solid Border-Gavaskar series to prove that he is still a long-term option for India in Tests, especially the overseas endeavors. However, 31 runs at an average of 6.20, makes it difficult to believe that he will be able to turn things around in England, where the Duke's ball and prolonged swing will pose an even sterner challenge.

The infamous English media will latch onto every false step that Rohit takes, and a five-match series could feel like an eternity on those shores under such circumstances.

A new-look England pace attack, coupled with the task of captaining the side against Bazball on their own turf, might just prove to be a task that would have been difficult for Rohit even in his prime. Granted, he had a landmark tour in 2018, but unfortunately, that comes across as an anomaly as far as his overseas record is concerned.

#4 No point in living long enough to be the villain

Even if Rohit does make a comeback for the series, it may likely turn out to be a repeat of the Border-Gavaskar debacle. The act of 'opting out' has already tarnished his legacy, and another instance where he may be forced to pull off a similar move, might not only prove to be career-ending, but also an indelible mark on his reputation.

Any potential comeback for Rohit also leaves India stuttering with their transition, with the prospects left hanging, with their fate unknown. Although the Border-Gavaskar series is far from the ideal exit route for Rohit Sharma, based on how it transpired, it sure seems as the best option at the moment, purely considered how much potential the situation has to be even worse in the future.