India captain Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket before England series

India's Rohit Sharma retires with a Test average of 40.57 though he has averaged 10.93 over the past year. Photograph: Martin Keep/AFP/Getty Images

Rohit Sharma has retired from Test cricket, his announcement coming hours after reports emerged that he was to lose India’s red-ball captaincy. The 38-year-old, who quit T20 international cricket after leading India to victory at last year’s World Cup, will continue to represent his country in one-day internationals.

“Hello everyone, I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket,” Sharma posted on Instagram. “It’s been an absolute honour to represent my country in whites. Thank you for all the love and support over the years. I will continue to represent India in the ODI format.”