Rohit Sharma becomes the first Indian captain to opt himself out of the Team’s playing XI in the ongoing Pink test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, which raises speculations about his end to the longest format of cricket. As a result, Jasprit Bumrah was once again appointed as the stand-in captain to lead the team in the climax of the 5-match test series at the SCG (Sydney Cricket Ground).
After 20 years, Team India is taken back to its dark history by dropping its captain out of the main XI. It reminds us of a similar situation in 2005 when the former captain Sourav Ganguly was asked to step down as a captain by the team’s head coach Greg Chappell ahead of the match against Zimbabwe. Later, Dada was excluded from the national team squad and the same scenario raised uncertainty about the Hitman’s test cricket future as well.
Furthermore, the rumors started to fuel up when India’s present head coach Gautam Gambhir didn’t give an exact commitment about Rohit’s place in India’s playing XI during the pre-match press conference.
Rohit Sharma experienced a disastrous outing in the second half of 2024, scoring just 164 runs in 15 test innings at an average of 10.93 including a half-century against New Zealand.
Meanwhile, the former Indian cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri believe that the Boxing Day test at MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) could be Rohit’s 67th as well as the last one if India doesn’t qualify for the WTC (World Test Championship) 2025 final.
Gautam Gambhir’s Hint to Drop Rohit Sharma for SCG Test
Gambhir attended the pre-match press conference in place of Rohit Sharma ahead of the series decider in Sydney and was questioned on why the Indian skipper hadn’t attended the conversation:
“Look! Everything is alright with Rohit. Right now the team’s head coach is here and that should be fine enough. We will confirm the team’s playing XI next day after taking a look at the pitch,” Gambhir said.
Upon further questions about the skipper’s inclusion in the playing XI for the SCG test, Gambhir refused to say YES and repeated the same previous answer:
“See! My answer remains the same. As I have mentioned earlier, we will scrutinize the wicket and reveal our starting XI tomorrow,” Gambhir added.
As the reporters asked a simple question about the captain’s presence in the playing XI, Gambhir could have given a straightforward answer. Rather, he gave a strange reply that not only hinted at Rohit Sharma’s absence for the next match but also left the entire cricket world to their wildest speculations related to his test career retirement.
Team India’s Practice Session Drops A Huge Signal on Indian Captain’s Historic Snub
Despite Gambhir remaining tight-lipped about India’s playing XI for the New Year’s test, the team’s practice session revealed few hints about the captain’s absence in the next game. Instead of Rohit Sharma, players such as KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Nitish Reddy were spotted practicing the slip catches.
In addition, another massive hint was dropped. While batters such as Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, and Rishabh Pant attended the net session, Rohit Sharma’s absence was evident.
Ravi Shastri and Sunil Gavaskar on Curtains to Rohit Sharma’s Test Career
During the Day 1 lunch break of the fifth test in Sydney, Shastri and Gavaskar pointed out that this decision could signify the conclusion of Rohit’s illustrious test cricket career. Here’s what Sunil Gavaskar said:
“Yeah! I believe the MCG test would be Rohit’s last game if India doesn’t qualify for the WTC final. Mostly, the selectors would look for a talented player who could be part of the next 2025-27 cycle,” Gavaskar said.
Ravi Shastri supported Rohit Sharma’s courageous decision by saying: “Yeah Good! As he said that Shubman Gill’s inclusion would make the team stronger, it’s a bold decision from the captain to step aside. Also, it is the best solution a player can do for their team when they aren’t in their best form and are psychologically challenged.
I believe that the time has come to pass the reigns to the young talent waiting for the opportunity. This is because if there was any upcoming home test series, he might have continued, but at this age, it would be challenging for him,” the former Indian head coach said.
Is it Rohit’s Selfless Decision for the SCG Test or Silent Retirement after BGT 2024-25? Final Thoughts
Rohit Sharma’s decision comes after scoring 31 runs in 5 innings of the current BGT 2024-25, which shows his struggle to cross the double-digit figure across three tests.
However, the ex-Australian captain Ricky Ponting wasn’t surprised with the right-handed batter’s decision based on his declining form in recent times.
The T20 World Cup 2024 winning captain would be 38 years old by the time the next WTC cycle commences. The former captains MS Dhoni and Anil Kumble announced their retirements in the mid-series after figuring out their lack of body condition to resist a longer format. Similarly, there are chances for Rohit Sharma to officially announce his retirement from tests.
Also, the team under his captaincy, Team India faced a clean sweep of 0-3 to New Zealand in the 3-match home test series and allowed the Aussies to take a 2-1 lead in the ongoing series. This not only resulted in dropping from their top spot in the points table but also kept their WTC 2025 qualification chances at risk.
Also, Rohit and Gambhir were spotted avoiding each other during practice sessions at SCG as both of them were positioned at the opposite end of the field. Possibly, the lack of communication between the captain and coach points out the strained relationship that adds a strong belief that the MCG test might be the final one for Rohit Sharma in his test career.
