Advertisment

Why does Rohit Sharma’s career numbers against Australia should worry fans?

Casting a closer look at Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma's numbers against Australia in Test cricket which doesn't paint a rosy picture ahead of the massive tour.

author-image
Ashwin
New Update
2003

Rohit Sharma (Source-X)

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been under the pump ever since the series loss to New Zealand with a 3-0 margin. It wasn’t the kind of series loss one expects at home especially just months after the highs of winning an ICC title. There are now serious questions being asked about Rohit’s captaincy and batting form. 

The 37-year-old hasn’t been in the best of forms with the bat during the home season. India’s skipper has scored just one fifty from his ten innings that he has batted in the five Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Rohit’s lack of form with the bat has massively contributed to India’s plummeting fortunes. 

In the next few weeks, the fans will know if India can play the World Test Championships finals. To reach the massive game in Lord’s next year, India’s fortunes will depend on their skipper during the tour of Australia. The 37-year-old will have to bat well and lead with example during the Border Gavaskar series. 

Rohit Sharma’s worrying numbers against Australia 

Ever since Rohit Sharma started to open the batting in Test cricket his fortunes with the bat turned around. The Indian skipper has played against all the SENA countries in the Test format both home and away. His numbers though against Australia doesn’t post a great picture. 

Against

Matches

Innings

Runs

50

100

Average

Australia

12

22

708

3

1

33.71

England

14

26

1147

4

4

47.79

New Zealand

9

17

515

5

0

36.79

South Africa

11

20

738

0

3

38.84

In the above table, you can see that Rohit has the lowest average against Australia. His only century against Australia came at home in Nagpur during the 2023 series. If we look at Rohit’s numbers in Australia he has scored 408 runs from 7 Test matches down under. His average is 31.38 with 3 half-centuries which will worry a lot of Indian fans. 

Out of the three fifties that Rohit has scored against Australia two have come in Sydney. Further alarms ring as just one fifty has been scored while opening the batting that came in SCG in 2021. The other half-centuries have come while batting lower down the order in the 2015 and 2018 tours. 

Off-spinner Nathan Lyon has proved to be the biggest nemesis for Rohit Sharma during his Test career. The Australian has dismissed India’s skipper on nine occasions which is more than any other bowler. Kagiso Rabada comes second having dismissed Rohit 7 times with Jack Leach third with five dismissals. Nathan Lyon has had Rohit out caught on 5 occasions. Lyon has also bowled Rohit twice and trapped the Indian skipper LBW further two more times. 

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has dismissed Rohit four times while Josh Hazlewood has dismissed him twice. In recent times, India’s skipper has fallen to the spinners having played the pacers well early in the innings. These numbers will be worrying for India’s team management as well as the fans in general. 

Sydney and Brisbane are known to offer good turn and bounce during the final few days of the game. These are the venues where Rohit Sharma could struggle if he comes up against Nathan Lyon in the 4th innings. Pat Cummins will have no hesitation in tossing the new ball to Lyon to create pressure on the veteran Indian star. 

The numbers don’t lie and Rohit’s form will decide not only India’s WTC finals future but also his spot in the Test team. It is make-or-break time for Rohit Sharma and he has his backs against the wall in perhaps the toughest place to play cricket. Can the Indian skipper come out of the slump? We shall get the answers in about two months. 

Rohit Sharma Border Gavaskar Trophy
Advertisment