India captain Rohit Sharma announces retirement from Test cricket / Photo: © AFP
India captain Rohit Sharma announces retirement from Test cricket
India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the team's tour of England starting next month, but will continue to play the shorter 50-over format.
In 67 Tests, Rohit scored 4,301 runs including 12 centuries with a best of 212 against South Africa in 2019 and an average of over 40.
"It's an absolute honour to represent my country in whites," the 38-year-old Rohit wrote on Instagram. "Thank you for all the love and support over the years."
Rohit, who quit T20 internationals alongwith Virat Kohli after India's World Cup triumph in Barbados last year, recently led the team to an ODI Champions Trophy title in Dubai.
India will begin a five-Test series in England in June-July and the team now needs a new Test skipper.
Rohit's last Test was in Melbourne last year when India lost to Australia by 184 runs.
He stood down as captain in the fifth Test in Sydney due to poor batting form but India went on to lose the match and the five-match series 2-1.
Rohit managed just 31 runs in five innings of his three outings Down Under and the Indian media speculated that he could retire from Test cricket after the series.
Rohit began his Test career in 2013, but it was five years later that he came into his own in the five-day format as a swashbuckling opener and later took over as captain from Kohli.
H.Schmidtke--NRZ
