New Delhi: India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah walked out as the captain in the fifth and last Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25 at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday, January 3. The star pacer informed at the toss that the team’s regular skipper Rohit Sharma had taken the decision to ‘rest himself’ amidst poor form.
Bumrah referred to Rohit as ‘Our Captain’ and said that he’s opted to rest in this match and that showed the unity of our team. He further added that there’s no selfishness in the team and we do whatever is in the team’s best interest. Shubman Gill replaced Rohit in the playing XI and injured Akash Deep was replaced by Prasidh Krishna. Rohit was not even part of India’s 16-member squad in the Sydney Test.
Rohit has been struggling to score runs since the home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. He missed the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which Team India won by 295 runs and returned to the team from the second Test. He batted in the middle-order in the Adelaide and Brisbane Test but opened the innings in the Boxing Day Test. He has scored just 31 runs at an average of 6.20 in the five innings against Australia.
‘We have probably seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Test cricket’: Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri
Sunil Gavaskar talked about Rohit’s decision to rest from the fifth Test and said that if India doesn’t qualify for the WTC Final, the Boxing Day Test was his last game. He further added that the next WTC will start with the England series and selectors would want someone who is available for the 2027 final.
“Whether India gets there or not is another matter, but that’s is what the selection committee is likely to do. We have probably seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Test cricket”: Gavaskar said on Star Sports.
Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri said that it’s a brave call from the captain to own up and say that he’s ready to take the bench in this game but if India fail to qualify for the WTC final then Rohit might pull the plug on his Test career. He further said that Rohit is not getting younger and it’s time to build.
“If there was a home season coming up he might’ve thought of carrying on, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test” Ravi Shastri said.
Former India cricketers make a bold statement on Rohit Sharma’s future in Test cricket. He has opted to ‘rest’ himself from the SCG Test, said stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
