Australia’s legendary skipper Steve Waugh stated that India’s Test and ODI leader Rohit Sharma will decide for himself if he should retire, but he can’t afford to be complacent or laid-back. Waugh believes Rohit should reflect on whether he wants to stay dedicated to representing the nation.
“It’s entirely his call. He’s the only one who can address that dilemma. He needs to look in the mirror and ask himself — do I still aspire to lead or play for India? Am I truly dedicated? Am I investing enough time and energy into it? Representing your country is a privilege and a great honour. You can’t afford to be complacent or take it easy.” Waugh told PTI ahead of India’s tour of England.
Rohit will turn 38 on April 30 and hasn’t been in peak form in red-ball cricket. During the Sydney Test, he opted to sit out for the sake of team balance. However, Rohit remains devoted to Test cricket and has made it clear that he isn’t stepping away from either of the two formats he’s currently involved in.
Form is Temporary, Hitman is Forever
Rohit has a solid record in England, having scored 524 runs in seven Tests on English soil at an average of 40.30 including one century and two fifties.
That said, his recent red-ball form hasn’t been the best. His last Test fifty came in the Bengaluru match against New Zealand, and since then, he hasn’t managed to get past 20 in nine straight innings. His most recent Test ton was in Dharamsala against England, and he actually scored two hundreds in that home series against Ben Stokes’ side last year.
But just when people started doubting him, Rohit reminded everyone of what he’s capable of. After six low scores, he came back strong with an unbeaten 76 against CSK at Wankhede on April 20 classic Rohit, anchoring the chase. He bagged the ‘Player of the Match’ award as MI cruised to a nine-wicket win. That was their fourth win in eight games, and with things finally clicking, Hardik Pandya’s squad still has a real shot at the playoffs.
