Team IndiaOne-Day International (ODI) captain and veteran Rohit Sharma has remarked that Test cricket is mentally exhausting and challenging but all players are acclimatised to play the longest format
in Indian cricket. Rohit retired from red-ball cricket in May 2025 after serving India in the oldest form of the sport for 11 years from 2013 to 2024. During this period, he scored 4301 runs with 12 hundreds and 18 fifties in 116 innings of 67 Tests.
Recently, Rohit appeared at a CEAT event in Mumbai and revealed how players are prepared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play Test cricket. “It’s something that you prepare for, because the game demands longevity. Especially in the Test format, you have to last for five days. Mentally, it is very challenging and it is draining as well. But all cricketers have been brought up playing First-Class cricket. When we start playing cricket at a competitive level, even in Mumbai, club cricket (matches) go on for two days or three days, so we are built like that, and it starts at a very young age for us," said Rohit.
Rohit feels it’s crucial to be mentally fresh to play Test cricket
Rohit Sharma also believes that it’s important for players to be mentally fresh at every moment to deliver stellar performances in Tests. “It takes a lot when you’re playing the longest format and concentration is something that is the key, because you are speaking about high-level performance and when you are expecting to put in high-level performance, it starts with being mentally fresh all the time," added Rohit.
The 38-year-old is expected to be in action in the upcoming three-match One-Day Internationals (ODI) series against Australia to be played Down Under. He played his last competitive game for Mumbai Indians (MI) against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPl) 2025 held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in June.
