Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket: From 177 on debut to 120 at The Oval, revisiting Hitman's greatest Test knocks

Nearly a year since he bid Twenty20 Internationals goodbye along with Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma announced his abrupt retirement from Test cricket on Wednesday, bringing the curtains down on a journey that began in spectacular fashion more than 11 years ago. The ‘Hitman’ confirmed his decision through a ‘Story’ on Instagram on Wednesday evening, in which he included a picture of his Test cap (No 280), while adding that he will continue playing One-Day Internationals.

Rohit thus retires from the Test format with 4,301 runs to his name from 67 appearances, including 12 centuries and 18 half-centuries. And with his Test career coming to an end on Wednesday, we revisit some of his greatest knocks for India in red-ball cricket.

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Rohit’s greatest hits in Tests

177 vs West Indies in Eden Gardens, Kolkata (2013): Rohit’s career began with a bang as he smashed 177 on Test debut first Test against West Indies at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens, in what was the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series.

Rohit fell just 10 short of Shikhar Dhawan’s 187 against Australia in Mohali – which remains the highest score by an Indian in his maiden Test till date. He collected 23 fours and a six in his knock that spanned more than six hours, helping India post a commanding 453 on the board that later resulted in an innings and 51-run victory.

127 vs England at The Oval, London (2021): Rohit’s finest knock in whites, and certainly among his top three across formats, was his fighting 127 at The Oval during the fourth Test of India’s 2021 tour of England. Not only was it Rohit’s first century in SENA countries – a feat highly coveted by batters from the subcontinent including and especially Indians – it also came at a time when India had been bowled out for less than 200 in their first innings and were trailing by nearly a hundred runs.

The ‘Hitman’ produced a glorious counter-attack against an attack comprising the legendary James Anderson as well as Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Craig Overton and Moeen Ali, collecting 14 fours and a six during his stay at the crease. By the time he departed, India had nearly 250 on the board for the loss of just two weeks, and the stage was set for the Kohli-led side to post a match-winning target.

212 vs South Africa at the JSCA Stadium, Ranchi (2019): Rohit has hit as many as three double centuries in ODIs but only one in Tests – 212 against South Africa in Ranchi during the Proteas’ tour of India in late 2019. Rohit had smashed 176 in the first Test in Visakhapatnam earlier in the series while opening with Mayank Agarwal, and his double-ton during the third Test in Ranchi only helped cement his place at the top of the Test batting order after years of uncertainty in the red-ball format while batting in the middle.

The Proteas pace battery comprising Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje couldn’t quite halt Rohit’s charge until he had crossed the 200-mark while spinners George Linde and Dane Piedt conceded more than a hundred runs each as the hosts ended up posting 497 on the board, which would be enough for them to secure an innings victory and complete a 3-0 whitewash.

120 vs Australia at the VCA Stadium, Nagpur (2023): On a Nagpur pitch that would come under the spotlight after Australia struggled to score more than 250 runs across two innings, Rohit ended up making the difference with the bat with a knock of 120 in testing conditions. And it remains among his best despite coming in home conditions due to the fact that no other batter in the top-six across both teams crossed fifty in that Test – Marnus Labuschagne’s 123-ball 49 being the next highest score.

Rohit blunted an attack led by captain Pat Cummins, comprising Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy from the word go, stitching a 76-run opening stand with KL Rahul in which the latter’s contribution was just 20 runs. He end up collecting 15 fours and two sixes during the knock.

161 vs England at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (2021): Rohit stood tall on a turning wicket at Chepauk with variable bounce where the rest of the Indian top-four struggled to score runs with Kohli departing for a duck. India were trailing in the four-Test series after a shock 227-run loss in the series opener at the same venue, and it was Rohit’s 161 that turned the tide in the home team’s favour, helping them post 329 on a pitch where England couldn’t cross 300 in both essays.

Rohit collected 18 fours and two sixes during his knock, which involving a lot of sweeping against the spin department comprising left-arm spinner Jack Leach and off-spinners Moeen Ali and Joe Root.