'Rohit's had a funny Test career, successful but not stellar'

Rohit Sharma scored just over 6000 runs at an average of 40.57

IMAGE: Rohit Sharma scored just over 6000 runs at an average of 40.57. Photograph: BCCI

Former England skipper Michael Atherton gave his verdict on Indian batter and skipper Rohit Sharma's Test career following his retirement from the format.

The commentator and pundit said that despite the numbers, Rohit's career 'not quite a stellar one' in Test cricket.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Atherton said, 'I think people will look at him and his best format is ODI cricket. He is going to go down as one of the greatest ODI openers, is he not?

But a funny Test career. He had to wait for a long time to get in and then almost a career of two halves in Test cricket, averaging just a tick over 40 in the end with a dozen hundreds, means it is a successful record, but not quite a stellar record,' Atherton said.

On May 7, Rohit announced his retirement from Test cricket after a career spanning 67 Tests and 11 years, ahead of the England tour, kickstarting India's ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle from June 20 onwards.

Rohit's decision came just a month before the team's departure to England for a five-match Test series.

But with his form questionable, Artherton asked if Rohit's retirement was personal call or one forced because of a lean patch -- in his final eight Tests, Rohit scored164 runs with just one half century.

'Was that retirement completely his own decision, or did he get a sense that he's about to be pushed, or the axe was coming because there was a report, the day before the announcement from Rohit, that the selectors had decided to move on,' said Atherton.

'So that is speculation, we do not know, but ultimately the decision did not come as a surprise because it is a bad combination for any captain, as you know, and as I know well if you are losing games, and you are not getting any runs, and India had lost 5 out of the last 6 matches under Rohit's captaincy. Three against New Zealand and a couple in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and his form had really tailed off, and of course, that is a bad combination for any captain,' he concluded.

Rohit made his Test debut against the West Indies in November 2013 and went on to represent India in 67 Tests. He amassed 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, with 12 centuries and 18 fifties. His highest score of 212 came during a memorable home series against South Africa in 2019. He finishes as India's 16th-highest run-getter in the longest format.