Concerns about India captain Rohit Sharma's performance have intensified as the fourth Test match against Australia approaches at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. A video surfaced online showing the 37-year-old struggling against part-time bowler Devdutt Padikkal, which fans quickly labeled "embarrassing."

Rohit's tour of Australia has been quite disappointing so far. After joining the team in Adelaide for the second Test, he has only managed to score 19 runs across three innings. This poor showing adds to his struggles in Test cricket since September, where he has only accumulated 152 runs in 13 innings, averaging a mere 11.69, with just one half-century to his name.

As the fourth Test, set to kick off on December 26 in Melbourne, draws near, Rohit was seen practicing against spinners in the nets. Padikkal, who has only played one Test in this series, joined Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar to challenge the Indian captain. In a notable moment, Padikkal bowled a delivery that kept low, catching Rohit on the backfoot and raising the possibility of an LBW appeal.

The footage quickly gained traction on social media, with fans suggesting that Rohit might be nearing the end of his career.”

Is Rohit Sharma reaching his “endgame”?

Last week, after another tough loss to Australia, this time by Pat Cummins in Brisbane, former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar suggested that Rohit might step down as Test captain if he doesn’t turn his form around in the last two matches of the series.

“Rohit will definitely get a chance to play in the next couple of games, no doubt about that. But if he doesn’t score runs, I think he’ll make the decision himself,” Gavaskar shared with ABC Sports.

Additionally, a report from Cricbuzz mentioned that following R Ashwin's unexpected retirement, several senior players might also consider ending their Test careers before the next World Test Championship cycle kicks off in June.

“It’s hard to say how much of this is planned or influenced, but the Indian team is likely to see some changes soon—possibly by the time they start their next Test series in England in the summer of 2025. While no one may openly admit it was a push, there’s a feeling that this announcement is just the beginning of more to come, similar to what happened in 2008 when many senior players retired in quick succession. The signs, whether obvious or subtle, seem to have been sent, paving the way for a transition,” Cricbuzz reported.

While it’s still mostly speculation, Rohit could end up following Ashwin if he doesn’t improve his performance in Melbourne and Sydney.

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