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Rohit Sharma came down to bat at number six in the second and third Tests played at Adelaide Oval and The Gabba, respectively.
Rohit Sharma is not playing in 5th Test against Australia. (Picture Credit: AP)
Rumours about India skipper Rohit Sharma’s possible Test retirement were rife ahead of the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But Rohit “opted to rest” for the Sydney Test and it has now triggered more doubts about his future in red-ball cricket. Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar recently spoke about Rohit’s fate in Tests. “Melbourne Test would be Rohit Sharma’s last, maybe. The selection committee will now be looking for somebody who can lead till the 2025-2027 World Test Championship final. I mean, India may not qualify but the thinking process will be like that of the section committee. So, maybe, we have probably seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Tests,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Rohit Sharma, who is India’s highest run scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC), could only manage to score 31 runs in five innings of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He came down to bat at number six in the second and third Tests played at Adelaide Oval and The Gabba, respectively but the India skipper could only manage to score three, six and 10 runs.
Rohit Sharma decided to open the innings for India in the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) but the move did not pay off. He was dismissed for three and nine runs.
Jasprit Bumrah led Team India in the absence of Rohit. Talking about the move, former Australia captain Mark Taylor wondered why India ‘sidestepped’ from saying that Sharma was dropped from the final Test.
“To be honest, that’s, what do I call that… that’s once again, sidestepping the point. The bottom line is the captain of a country does not opt-out for the final Test match, the final deciding Test match of a series. He has been dropped and I don’t know why they just don’t say he’s been dropped. That doesn’t mean he’s dropped forever, it means he’s missing this match because he is out of form. That is unfortunately professional sports,” Mark Taylor said on Triple M Cricket.
India were bowled out for 185 in the fifth Test. Scott Boland claimed four wickets for Australia in the first innings. In response, the hosts reached 181 with Beau Webster emerging as the highest scorer for his side. Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna bagged three wickets each for the visitors in the first innings.
- Location :
Sydney, Australia
