“I won’t be shocked at all” - Ravi Shastri opens up on Rohit Sharma’s retirement ahead of BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri had his say on under-fire Rohit Sharma’s future ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which gets underway in Sydney on Friday, January 3. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that he won’t be surprised if Rohit calls it quits from the red-ball format after the conclusion of the fifth game.

The remarks came as the 37-year-old batter managed just 31 runs across five innings in the series. The senior batter has managed just 165 runs in his last 15 innings at an average of 10.93, including a solitary half-century.

Ravi Shastri told ICC review:

“He'll take a call on his career but I won't be shocked at all (if Sharma retires) because he's not getting younger. There are other young players in the wings, there's Shubman Gill, a player of his quality averaging over 40 in the year 2024 and not playing. It tricks your brain as to what is he doing sitting on the bench and warming it. So I won't be surprised but it's his call.”

“At the end of the day, if India had qualified for the World Test Championship (Final) or if they still qualify for the World Test Championship Final, then it's another thing altogether. Otherwise, I think it might just be the opportune time - but (if Rohit Sharma plays) he should go out with a blaze of glory,” he added.

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“His feet aren’t moving as well as they normally do” – Ravi Shastri on Rohit Sharma’s technical flaws with the bat in Tests

Ravi Shastri further explained the technical flaws in Rohit Sharma’s batting. He said during the same interaction:

“I think from the outside when I see it, I think he's a little late on the ball. His (Rohit Sharma's) feet aren't moving as well as they normally do. Even at his prime, his footwork was minimal, but there was more. He was more towards the ball. At the moment, I think he's caught on the crease.

“It is much like (Usman) Khawaja in the Australian team, where you're neither forward nor back. And I think when Rohit is moving more towards the ball and the intent is there to take on the opposition, that's when the right signals go from the brain to the feet to do what they have to do,” he added.

Shastri, meanwhile, has advised Rohit to play his natural game (attacking) as the Indian side aims to level the five-game series 2-2 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He concluded:

"I want him to just get out there, smash it, try and win this Test match. You might have lost a Test. You have not lost the series as yet. Try and win this Test match to keep that Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”

“It’s going out there and not playing his natural game (that’s affecting him),” he added.

A win in Sydney will keep India alive in the race to the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final qualification, subject to Australia's performance in the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka.