Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket. From his debut century against West Indies to his crucial knocks against England and Australia, Rohit's contributions with the bat were instrumental in several Indian victories.
Team India captain Rohit Sharma has announced his decision to retire from his Test career on Wednesday, May 7. The veteran Indian batter announced his Test retirement soon after the reports emerged that BCCI decided to remove from captaincy duties ahead of the England tour.
Rohit Sharma took his Instagram story to inform his decision to retire from the longest format of the game, adding that he felt honoured to represent India in whites. The right-handed batter has asserted that he will continue to play for India in ODIs. Rohit finished his Test career with 4301 runs, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties, at an average of 40.57 in 67 matches.
On that note, let’s take a look at top memorable innings of Hitman in Tests
29
1. 177 vs West Indies in 2013
Rohit Sharma announced his arrival in Test cricket with a brilliant century on his debut against West Indies, scoring 177 off 301 balls at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. His knock and 280-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Ravichandran Ashwin (124) helped India post a formidable total of 453 on the board and a 219-run lead in the first innings before the hosts bundled out West Indies for 168 to secure an innings and 51-run win.
39
2. 111* vs West Indies in 2013
Another memorable Test innings for Rohit Sharma came in the 2nd Test of the same series against West Indies in front of his home crowd at the Wankhede Stadium. He played a brilliant unbeaten innings of 111 off 127 balls and formed a 94-run stand for the fourth wicket with Virat Kohli (55) to guide to 495 in the first innings, laying a foundation for an innings and 126-run win. Rohit was one of the luckiest players to have featured in Sachin Tendulkar’s last international match of his illustrious career.
One of the best innings by Rohit Sharma in Test came in the Boxing Day Test against Australia, where he played a valiant knock of 63 off 114 balls in the middle-order to help India post a total of 443/7. His composed innings under pressure provided crucial support to the top order and helped India set the tone for a historic 137-run victory. The victory in the Melbourne Test was instrumental for India in clinching the first ever Test series win on Australian soil.
59
4. 176 and 217 vs South Africa in 2019
Rohit Sharma had a memorable outing on his comeback to Test cricket after over a year in the first Test against South Africa in Visakhapatnam. The right-handed batter scored a brilliant 176 off 244 balls and formed a 317-run opening partnership with Mayank Agarwal (215) to help India post a 502/7 in the first innings. In the second innings, Rohit played innings of 127 off 149 balls to guide India to 323/4, setting a foundation for a comprehensive 203-run victory. This was the first outing after being prompted as an opener in the series against South Africa.
69
5. 212 vs South Africa in 2019
Rohit Sharma registered his first double century of his Test career, scoring a brilliant 212 off 255 balls to help India post a total of 497/9 in the first innings of the third Test against South Africa,, laying a foundation for an innings and 202-run win to clinch the three-match Test series. Rohit Sharma finished the series as the highest run-getter with 529 runs, including a double century and two centuries, at an impressive average of 132.25 in four innings. It was the first successful outing for Rohit Sharma as an opener in the Test series.
79
6. 161 vs England in 2021
Rohit Sharma played one of the finest Test innings against England in Chennai in 2021, leading India’s batting line-up with a knock of 161 off 231 to guide the side to 329 in the first innings. He displayed aggression and control against England’s spin bowling attack, consisting of Jack Leach and Moeen Ali. Rohit’s memorable knock against England helped India lay the foundation for a 317-run win after the hosts bundled out the visitors for 134 in the second innings.
89
7. 127 vs England in 2021
Rohit Sharma silenced his critics with a performance in The Oval Test against England, where he scored 127 off 256 in the second innings. He anchored India’s innings brilliantly, guiding them to 466. This was his first Test century on England soil. Rohit’s crucial knock in the second innings of the fourth Test against England, paved the way for a 157-run win over India. This was his first and last century for Rohit Sharma in England.
99
8. 131 vs England in 2024
Rohit Sharma played one of the memorable Test innings against England in Rajkot in 2024, scoring a brilliant 131 off 196 balls and formed a 204-run stand for the fourth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja, who scored 112 off 225 balls to help India post a total of 445 in the first innings, Rohit Sharma’s knock and his partnership with Jadeja helped helped India gain a strong foothold in the match, which they went on to win by a record 434 runs.
)
)
)