Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised serious concerns about India captain Rohit Sharma's place in the Test team amidst his prolonged slump in form after India suffered a 184 run defeat in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground. Pathan suggested that Rohit's current inclusion in the playing XI owes more to his role as captain than his performances with the bat. His remarks come as the cricketing world debates Rohit's future in the longest format following another string of poor scores in the ongoing 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rohit's batting woes have been a significant factor in India's underwhelming campaign against Australia. Across five innings in the series, the 37-year-old has managed a paltry 31 runs at an average of 6.20, including two ducks. This is the second-lowest series average for a top-six batter in Test cricket history for India in Australia.
His inability to convert starts, coupled with a lack of rhythm against Australia's disciplined bowling attack, has placed Rohit under intense scrutiny. Rohit faced 40 balls on Day 5 but managed just nine runs before being dismissed by Australia captain Pat Cummins.
"A player who has made about 20,000 runs—yet the way Rohit is struggling now, it seems his form is not supporting him at all. What's happening now is that he is the captain, so he is playing. If he were not the captain, he might not be playing right now. You would have had a set team. K.L. Rahul would have been playing at the top. Jaiswal would have been there. Shubman Gill would have been there. If we talk about reality, considering how he is struggling with the bat, there might not have been a place for him in the playing XI," Irfan Pathan told Star Sports.
Pathan argued that if
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