Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said he would not be surprised if Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket after the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The match begins Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground with India trailing the series 2-1.

Shastri’s comments come as the under-fire India captain has struggled in the series, managing only 31 runs in five innings. The 37-year-old batter has scored just 165 runs in his last 15 innings at an average of 10.93, with a lone half-century.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri said, "He’ll take a call on his career, but I won’t be shocked at all if Sharma retires because he’s not getting younger. There are young players like Shubman Gill waiting in the wings, averaging over 40 in 2024. Seeing a player of his quality on the bench makes you wonder."

Shastri added that Sharma might choose to step away unless India qualifies for the World Test Championship final. "If they make the final, that’s a different story. Otherwise, this might be the right time, but he should go out with a blaze of glory," he said.

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The former coach also analyzed Sharma’s technical struggles, pointing out flaws in his batting. "From the outside, it looks like he’s late on the ball. His feet aren’t moving as well as they normally do. Even at his prime, his footwork was minimal, but now it’s less. He’s often caught on the crease, neither forward nor back," Shastri explained.

He compared Sharma’s struggles to those of Australian batter Usman Khawaja. "When Rohit moves toward the ball with intent, his brain sends the right signals to his feet. That’s when he performs well," Shastri said.

The former coach urged Sharma to play his natural attacking game in the Sydney Test, which India must win to level the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "I want him to get out there, smash it, and try to win this Test. Losing one Test doesn’t mean losing the series. He needs to play his natural game," Shastri said.

The fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Test begins Friday with Australia leading the series 2-1. India must win the Sydney Test to keep their slim World Test Championship final hopes alive. They would also need Australia to avoid winning either of their two Tests in Sri Lanka to secure a spot in the final at Lord’s in June.