Rohit Sharma’s Test decline: 152 runs in last 7 Tests at average of just 11.69 in last 13 innings
These figures are not ones that would instill pride in anyone. Not as much, when they are associated with someone who was the top opening batsman globally in the prior years. Rohit Sharma’s decline was swift, resulting in a reduction of four runs from his career batting average during these seven Tests, which had previously placed him among the top echelon of Indian batsmen.
The decision to have him start the innings in mid-2019 was a final effort to salvage Rohit Sharma`s emerging Test career, which he seized enthusiastically and succeeded remarkably. The most remarkable aspect of the following five years was his emergence as India’s finest Test batter, alongside a short stint of success at the top of the order in multiple formats.
Tackling the initial challenge
The primary challenge for an opening batter lies in facing fast bowlers, particularly when the ball, the bowler, and the pitch are new. Rohit Sharma excelled in this test remarkably, averaging just below 57 against seam bowlers and enduring almost 105 deliveries between dismissals to pace during the four years from October 2019 to September 2023. Among the openers who have batted a minimum of 20 times during this duration, only Abdullah Shafique recorded a superior average, while just Shafique and Usman Khawaja had a better balls per dismissal ratio against pace than Rohit Sharma . From those peaks, Rohit’s performance against pace has plummeted in the past year, with an average of 18.50 and getting out every 29 balls.
Rohit Sharma vs pace in Tests
| Period | Inngs | Runs | Balls | Wkts | Avg | BpD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2019 – Sep 2023 | 39 | 1253 | 2299 | 22 | 56.95 | 104.5 |
| Since Oct 2023 | 25 | 296 | 467 | 16 | 18.50 | 29.1 |
What has led to Rohit’s decline against fast bowling over the past year or so? There are two factors we can link his decline in numbers concerning pace that are essential to the effectiveness of a Test opening batsman – how he performs against good length deliveries and how solid his defensive technique is.
Not so good against ‘good length‘
The fundamental challenge for a batter in cricket, more so in Test cricket, against pace bowling is how one wards off balls pitched on a good length. For a batter to have success over a prolonged period, it is a necessity to have a good, if not exceptional, record against balls pitched on ‘good length’ as you will be tested in this area often.
Between October 2019 and September 2023, 27 batters faced 1000+ deliveries on good length from seamers, and Rohit’s average of 53.16 was bettered only by Dimuth Karunaratne (60.88) and Kane Williamson (53.66). The global average for a top-seven batter in this period against these deliveries was 26.60 and a dismissal rate of 65.7 balls – Rohit’s numbers were more than twice as good (avg 53.16, Balls/Dis 132.9). In the last 12 months, the corresponding numbers for Rohit read 12.00 and 30.5 with only Bangladesh’s Shadman Islam sitting below him on both parameters.
Rohit Sharma Against good length balls from pace
| Period | Inngs | Runs | Wkts | Ave | BpD | False shot % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2019 – Sep 2023 | 39 | 638 | 12 | 53.16 | 132.90 | 19.30 |
| Since Oct 2023 | 25 | 120 | 10 | 12.00 | 30.50 | 28.80 |
There is also the elusive and immeasurable factor of ‘luck,’ which is essential for the success of opening batsmen in Test matches. An average batsman in the top seven had a false shot percentage of 17 against quality length balls from fast bowlers during the 2019-23 timeframe, while Rohit recorded 19.3% – significantly exceeding the average and ranking as the third worst globally. The two players ranked above Rohit and six of the top nine regarding false shot percentage (1000+ balls faced) are opening batsmen, highlighting the challenges faced by opening batsmen and indicating that ‘luck’ is essential for their success.
The worldwide average for false shot percentage among the top seven against quality length seam deliveries has increased to 20.8 since October 2023, whereas Rohit Sharma has surged to 28.8 – the highest in the world (300+ balls faced). Traditional batting qualities such as remaining patient, wearing down bowlers, and accumulating hard-earned runs have been replaced by batters aggressively striking their way out of difficulties. Consequently, the year 2024 has seen scoring rates surge and dismissal rates fall to unprecedented levels. Rohit Sharma has occasionally been at fault for disregarding the methods that led to his early success at the top of the order, and attempting to smash his way out of difficulty has been harmful.
A potential reason for his decline may be linked to his approach against pace at the beginning of innings, establishing his achievements from the year 2021 as a standard. During the initial 50 balls of the innings in 2021, Rohit Sharma maintained a false shot percentage of 20.4, which is relatively high.
However, he left balls alone 22.5% of the time and only attacked 15.3% of the time, as the odds are typically unfavorable for opening batsmen during this period. After October 2023, the stats changed, showing him engaging with 28.2% of the deliveries while leaving 14%, resulting in his false shot percentage rising to 28.2%. From being out every 187 balls to the pace at the beginning of an innings, the statistics have plummeted to a dismissal every 28.5 balls. Sometimes, the greatest create their own fortune, and Rohit has certainly not aided his situation in this instance.
Struggle against defence
During his peak, Rohit Sharma possessed one of the most robust defensive games against pace bowling, primarily due to his skill in getting to the ball and his awareness of his off stump position. He allowed balls to go outside his vision and successfully defended against those requiring attention, attacking only when the bowlers made mistakes on either side of good length. This ability to counterattack indicated that Rohit’s statistics against seam bowlers were outstanding: he was out every 130.8 balls, as opposed to the worldwide average of 55.6 for leading seven batsmen – the finest globally from October 2019 to September 2023 (more than 500 defensive shots).
In the past year, the worldwide dismissal rate for the leading seven batters facing defensive shots has dropped by almost 10 balls, from 55.6 to 46.1. For Rohit, it shows 17.9 defensive shots per wicket, the lowest globally (150+ defensive shots). Starting as more than twice as skilled as an average batter, he ultimately became less than half as effective as an average top-seven batter against seamers.
Rohit Sharma`s recent trigger movements have caused him to frequently plant his front foot forward without his head moving in coordination. Although this hasn’t led to any major problems with the fuller deliveries, it has created various difficulties when batting on good length balls aimed at the off stump and the region just outside off, where he has to rely solely on his hands without adequate weight shifting. Lately, seam bowlers have exploited his vulnerabilities while he defends, resulting in him getting edged on the outside.
Rohit record playing defence to pacers
| Period | Inngs | Balls | Wkts | BpD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2019 – Sep 2023 | 39 | 785 | 6 | 130.8 |
| Since Oct 2023 | 23 | 197 | 11 | 17.9 |
Why such a massive dip for Rohit Sharma??
Although elements like age, fitness, and injuries will undoubtedly influence the situation, one factor that may have impacted his Test statistics could be his achievements in the shorter formats, subtly altering his technique on a subconscious level. Rohit Sharma is not the initial victim in this matter, and surely he won’t be the final one.
The increasing presence of the shorter format in the cricket calendar has significantly influenced players overall, impacting them both mentally and technically. The formats are evolving more rapidly than ever, while the necessary skillsets are nearly complementary. There are two areas where it has been experienced more intensely than in others – batting first and wrist spin.
Rohit Sharma began opening in Test matches when he was excelling as a white ball batsman in mid-2019. He recently concluded the ODI World Cup 2019 as the top run scorer with five centuries and also scored three T20 International centuries in the prior 18 months. The decline in white ball formats didn’t surface right away, but gradually, fissures started to appear. Rohit’s top performances as a Test opening batsman occurred in the second half of 2019 and again in 2021 (he did not play a Test in 2020), and since his comeback after the Covid hiatus in September 2020 until the disgraceful exit in the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022, Rohit’s statistics in the white-ball format diminished.
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If there’s one trait that defines Rohit Sharma`s career, it has been his ability to come up with solutions to problems that threatened his very existence in cricket. Be it him giving up the middle order to role to pursue an opening career in ODIs in 2013 or doing so again in Test cricket six years later or even eke out a more aggressive version at the top of the order. He is facing another problem late in his career with odds stacked against him. If he trumps this challenge like he has done in the past, we will be in for another exciting chapter in his illustrious career.
