January 3rd 2025.
Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, former India cricketers, have expressed their belief that the recently concluded Boxing Day Test may have been Rohit Sharma's final appearance in Test cricket. This comes after the bold decision made by the 37-year-old to rest himself for the series finale against Australia, which began on Friday.
Rohit, who had only managed to score 31 runs in five innings across three Tests, chose to sit out with the series on the line. During the lunch break on day one, Gavaskar shared his thoughts, saying, "I think it probably means that India won't qualify for the WTC final, and the Melbourne Test will be Rohit Sharma's last game." He also mentioned that the WTC cycle will start with the upcoming England series, and the selectors may want to have someone available for the 2027 final.
"We have probably seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Test cricket," Gavaskar added. Shastri, too, echoed this sentiment and predicted that Rohit would "pull the plug" on his Test career after the ongoing series.
During commentary, Shastri revealed that at the toss, Jasprit Bumrah had mentioned that the captain had opted to sit out and the team would be stronger with Shubman Gill in the playing eleven. "It can happen when you're out of sorts, you're mentally not there, and you don't have the runs under your belt. It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, 'I'm prepared to take the bench in this game,'" Shastri commented.
Rohit has been struggling in Test cricket lately, managing to breach the 20-run mark only twice in his last eight matches. With India trailing 1-2 in the series, they needed to win the final Test to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which they have held for a decade. It was also crucial for their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final against South Africa.
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised Rohit's team-first mindset but criticized the lack of clarity surrounding the decision. "So typical of Rohit Sharma. Doing the right thing, doing what's right for the team. But could not understand the 'cloak and dagger' around the issue. It wasn't even talked about at the toss," Manjrekar wrote.
On the other hand, former Australia captain Mark Taylor had a different perspective and asserted that a captain does not "opt-out" of a series-deciding Test. He suggested that Rohit was dropped due to his poor form. "That's once again sidestepping the point. The bottom line is the captain of a country doesn't opt out for the final Test match of a series, a final-deciding Test match," Taylor commented on 'Triple M Cricket.'
He added, "There is no doubt he's been dropped. They just don't say it. It doesn't mean he's dropped forever. It means he's missing this Test because he's been out of form. It's not a crime, unfortunately, that's professional sport."
After the loss in the Boxing Day Test, Rohit had admitted that his poor form had been "mentally disturbing." He stated that it was frustrating "when you can't do what you have come to do." Looking ahead, the Indian team is set to tour England in mid-June, and Shastri believes that if there was a home season coming up, Rohit might have considered continuing. However, he thinks that Rohit might just "pull the plug" at the end of this Test. "He's not getting younger...it's not that India don't have youngsters. There are very, very good players in the wings, and it's time to build," Shastri concluded.
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