Rohit Sharma has broken his silence on ‘opting to rest’ from the fifth India vs Australia Test in Sydney. The India captain Rohit Sharma decided to miss the match amid a run of poor form leading to speculation that this was the end of his Test career. India are not playing another Test in over five months and at 38, time seemed to be running out for Rohit. His 31 runs in five innings in Australia hurt the India captain bad and he decided to stand down.
India’s Rohit Sharma has poured water on retirement speculation following his non-selection for the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test match in Sydney. Averaging just 6.2 across his five innings across the series, Rohit Sharma is also yet to taste victory on the tour, also missing his side’s win in the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his second child.
Jasprit Bumrah, as he did in the first Test, wore the captain’s blazer for Sydney in Rohit Sharma’s absence, with the batter “opting out” of the final contest. India’s stand-in captain however also is absent, departing the SCG after succumbing to injury while bowling in the second session. Virat Kohli led the team in the field as the tourists bowled Australia out for 181.
Rohit Sharma’s low form in BGT resulted him to be “opted out ” of 5th and deciding test at SCG.
Rohit Sharma’s, India’s Test and ODI captain, missed the start of the Test series on paternity leave. After joining the squad midway through the series opener in Perth, which India won by 295 runs, Rohit Sharma slotted into the middle order for the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests to accommodate KL Rahul at the top of the order.
In Melbourne last week, Rohit Sharma returned to open the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal, with Rahul slotting in at No. 3 and Shubman Gill losing out on a place in the XI. However, two failures and a loss on a dramatic final day led to chatter around his place in the XI. Rohit Sharma didn’t do his usual pre-match press conference a day out from the final Test, and head coach Gautam Gambhir sidestepped questions on Rohit Sharma’s participation, stating a call would be taken after looking at the pitch.
Rohit Sharma’s form has been a concern for a while. He had averaged 13.30 over ten innings against Bangladesh and New Zealand during the 2023-24 home season. And he presided over a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand, India’s first home-series loss since 2012-13.
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has opened up about the future leadership of the national team. Speaking to Star Sports, he stressed that any possible successor has to earn the spot through merit and performance. This is similar to the journeys of former captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. The conversation happened during an impromptu interview on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney.
Rohit Sharma refutes retirement talks in spite of Sydney absence
Rohit Sharma’s decision to sit out of the Sydney Test shouldn’t be misconstrued as a retirement decision, he has said. He is confident “things can change” and those with a “mic, pen or laptop can’t decide when we should retire.”
Rohit Sharma was reacting to media reports in India that had brought his Test future into sharp focus following India’s loss in the fourth Border-Gavaskar Test in Melbourne, which all but ended their chances of qualifying for the WTC final.
Speaking to Star Sports during the lunch break on day two, Rohit Sharma clarified his position.
“This is not a decision to retire, nor am I stepping away from the game,” Rohit reiterated.
“I’ve stood down for this match because I wasn’t scoring runs with the bat at the moment.”
“There is no guarantee runs won’t come five or two months down the line. I have seen a lot in cricket that life changes every second, every minute, every day.”
“I have confidence in me that things can change, but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. So life won’t change by what people with a mic, pen or laptop write or say.
“They can’t decide when we should retire, when we should sit out, when we should captain. I am a sensible man, mature man, father of two kids. So I know what I need in life.”
When the anchor said, “It was pleasure to have you as India captain”, Rohit replied:
“Arre kahin ja nahi raha hu main (I am not going anywhere).”
Rohit’s move also paved the way for Shubman Gill’s inclusion in the crucial fifth match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as India is trailing 1-2.
“I am not in form and it’s an important game. We need an in-form player. Our batting order isn’t in form at the moment. So out of form players can’t carry the team at the moment. So this was the simple thing in my mind. It was my understanding that I should tell the coach and the selector and they backed my call.’’
As Rohit Sharma watches on from the India pavilion, India ended day 2 with 145 runs ahead with 4 wickets remaining to their kitty. India need to win the Sydney Test match to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and to keep slim hopes of snaring a World Test Championship Final spot alive.
A win for the hosts would both lock in an Australia/South Africa World Test Championship Final at Lord’s in June, and end a 10-year absence of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the cabinet.