“I Won’t Say The Same When It Comes To Tests”- Shastri Sparks Debate On Rohit’s Red-Ball Legacy

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has made a sharp observation on Rohit Sharma’s leadership profile ahead of the first ODI of the Australia tour. The ex-all-rounder stressed that Rohit’s record as captain in limited-overs cricket stands among India’s finest, thanks to his success in multi-nation events and his composed approach in crunch situations.

However, Shastri underlined that as far as Test captaincy is concerned, Rohit could not produce the same level of command and consistency in the longest format. He remarked that in white-ball cricket Rohit’s stint produced multiple ICC titles, including the recently-won 2025 Champions Trophy, strengthening his name among India’s most efficient one-day leaders.

Assessment Of Rohit’s Test Captaincy And Fitness Resurgence

Rohit’s Test résumé reflects 24 matches as captain, from which India secured 12 wins but also endured nine defeats, including the heavy loss in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval. The closing stretch of Rohit’s tenure in red-ball cricket was particularly grim as India suffered a rare 0-3 defeat at home to New Zealand followed by a 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia in 2024-25.

Despite stepping aside from captaincy duties with Shubman Gill taking over ODIs before the tour, Shastri still praised Rohit’s stature and his attitude in preparation for his return to the squad. “He’s won Asia Cups as well and IPL trophies (apart from ICC trophies), much like MS Dhoni. MS won everything. With MS, it was he full monty. Both of them are outstanding white-ball captains. I won’t say the same when it comes to Tests because the attention span is not the same. Fitness wise there is no problem with Virat, and you see Rohit now, he has really worked. He has lost a lot of weight, he has worked hard on his fitness. So, that hunger, that desire is there. “

Fan Culture And Tribal Loyalty In Indian Cricket

Speaking on the familiar rivalry between supporters of major stars like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Shastri said such fandom is deeply rooted in region and franchise loyalty. He observed that intense opinion clashes are inevitable in a country with a vast base of cricket ssupporters.

“It’s just likes and probably where you come from, which state you come from, which team you are playing for. Like a lot of Virat fans would be RCB fans. A lot of Rohit fans would be MI fans. It has always been the case. Honestly, with these two players, the fans are universal. MS had a huge fan following, and that is the case in India,” Shastri stated. The opening ODI of the series is scheduled for October 19 at Optus Stadium in Perth..