Former England captain Michael Atherton has shared his thoughts on Rohit Sharma’s sudden retirement from Test cricket, stating that it wasn’t entirely surprising given the Indian captain’s recent dip in form and the team’s lacklustre results. Rohit announced his retirement on Instagram on May 7, just before India’s Test squad selection for the England tour, bringing an end to a red-ball career that lasted over a decade. The timing of the retirement raised eyebrows and fueled speculation about whether the decision was entirely his or influenced by the selectors. “Was that retirement completely his own decision, or did he get a sense that he's about to be pushed, or the axe was coming because there was a report, the day before the announcement from Rohit, that the selectors had decided to move on. So that's speculation, we don’t know,” Atherton said during a Sky Sports segment. He said that despite the speculation, the retirement wasn’t shocking. Atherton pointed out that the combination of poor team results and Rohit’s own form left little room for surprise. “Ultimately, the decision didn't come as a surprise because it's a bad combination for any captain. If you're losing games and not scoring runs, and India had lost 5 out of the last 6 matches under Rohit's captaincy—three against New Zealand and a couple in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy—and his form had really tailed off, that's a bad combination for any captain,” Atherton explained. Also READ: Watch: Pakistani cricketers mock India with “fantastic tea” jibe amid border tensions ‘Always sad when a Test career ends’ While acknowledging Rohit’s struggles in the longest format, Atherton also praised his white-ball legacy. He remarked that despite solid numbers in Tests, Rohit’s career didn’t quite align with the all-time greats of the format. "I think people will look at him and say his best format is ODI cricket. He’s going to go down as one of the greatest ODI openers. But it was a funny Test career. He had to wait a long time to get in, and it’s almost a career of two halves in Test cricket. Averaging just over 40 in the end with a dozen hundreds means it’s a successful record but not quite a stellar one,” said Atherton. Atherton reflected on Rohit’s final Test season, where India suffered a 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home and a 1-3 loss in Australia. These defeats dashed India’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship Final. Rohit’s own struggles with the bat were evident, as he managed just 31 runs across three Tests in Australia and opted out of the final Test in Sydney, admitting he wasn’t contributing enough. "He's 38. There’s massive depth in Indian cricket. Given the depth and the level of competition, when form or results go against you, you're not going to be so patient. So in that sense, I didn’t think it was that much of a surprise. But it’s always sad when a Test career comes to an end. He’s been a significant cricketer. His record or stats might not place him in the very top tier of Test cricket, but it’s still a successful career,” Atherton concluded. Rohit made his Test debut in November 2013 and went on to play 67 Test matches, amassing 4301 runs at an average of 40.57.