'Not a place for...' Katich questions Rohit Sharma's Test future
What's the story
Former Australian cricketer Simon Katich has cast doubts on Rohit Sharma's future as a top-order batter in India's Test team. This comes after Sharma's underwhelming performance in the recently-concluded 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "Those numbers are not for pretty reading," said Katich during a conversation with Star Sports. "Test cricket isn't a place for 37-year-olds at the top of the order."
Performance review
Disappointing performance in Border-Gavaskar Trophy
Sharma's recent Test series performance was dismal, with scores of 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9 across three games. The poor run continued from Perth to Sydney where he voluntarily stepped down for the final game. Since scoring a ton against England in March 2024 in Dharamsala, Sharma has only managed to cross 50 once in his last 15 innings.
Future plans
Rohit expresses desire to continue Test cricket
Despite his recent form, Sharma had said he was keen to continue playing Test cricket and leading India. Speaking to Star Sports during the Sydney Test, he had said, "I am not going anywhere." To this, Katich said, "If you look at the numbers, they are damning. We saw it in this Test. It was very selfless of him to opt out of the Test... Only he knows whether he has the hunger and drive at 37 to go again."
Upcoming series
Challenges ahead for India and Rohit
India's next Test series will be against England, a team that has been showing promising signs. "England are on their way up," said Katich. "They have some good young quicks coming through." This could be a major challenge for Sharma if he chooses to continue his Test career and is picked by the Indian selectors for this tour.