Former England all-rounder Moeen Ali lauded Rohit Sharma's contribution to Test cricket, saying there was a time when the right-hander was the most talented player in the world.

Rohit, who recently turned 38, announced his retirement from Test cricket ahead of the upcoming marquee England tour. The right-hander called time on his Test career, having played 67 games in which he scored 4301 runs, including 12 centuries and 18 fifties.

Rohit endured a horrid Test performance in India's last two series against New Zealand (home) and Australia (away). In the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he scored just 31 runs, and his form was so bad that Rohit decided to withdraw from the last Test in Sydney.

Despite the poor returns in the last two series, Rohit's impact once he turned an opener in the longest format of the game cannot be denied. The right-handed batter started opening the batting in 2019 and it was then that he came into his own in Test cricket.

"Rohit was a more natural player in terms of, like, amazing to watch. Like a proper gift given to him. When I say natural, everything looks a lot smoother. He was a top player. There was a period of time where he was probably the most talented player in the world, naturally," Moeen said on the Beard Before Wicket podcast.

"Like probably didn't do the work in terms of fitness and stuff as Virat but still as effective. Would probably hit the ball further," he added.

Rohit will continue to represent India in ODIs

Rohit Sharma, who announced his retirement from T20Is after the World Cup win in 2024, will continue to represent India in the ODI format.

Recently, he took to Instagram Stories to confirm his retirement from Test cricket. He shared a picture of his Test cap and captioned the post, "Hello, everyone.

I would just like to share that I am retiring from Test cricket. 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."

In the 67 Tests he played, Rohit averaged 40.57. However, the batter struggled in the overseas conditions, averaging just 31.01 in Tests played outside the sub-continent.

Out of the SENA countries, Rohit averaged the best in England (44.66). However, his returns in Australia and South Africa left much to be desired.