The decision to rest Rohit Sharma was taken by the player himself and the coach.© PTI
Reports of India captain Rohit Sharma‘s possible omission from the playing XI had become a hot topic of debate in the lead up to the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney. These reports turned out to be true on Friday when vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah walked out for toss at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). While speaking to former India head coach Ravi Shastri at the toss, Bumrah insisted that Rohit was “opted to rested”, despite some reports suggesting that the out-of-form batter may have been “dropped” from the XI.
“Obviously, our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game,” Bumrah said at the toss.
Rohit had a meeting with head coach Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of India’s selection think tank. According to a report in the Indian Express, the decision to leave Rohit out of the XI was taken by the player and head coach after the meeting with Agarkar.
“With regards to Rohit Sharma not playing at Sydney, it seems to have been a decision taken by the player and head coach Gautam Gambhir after the meeting with the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar. With the series on the line, Rohit’s struggles with the bat – he has scores of 3, 6, 10, 3 & 9 – showed no signs of ending and his low confidence reflected on the field on his captaincy, the decision to rest/drop isn’t a point of debate,” the report stated.
Rohit’s concerning form in the series wasn’t the only factor behind his omission as the player had also come under the scanner due to his leadership. India slumped to a shocking 0-3 series defeat at home to New Zealand, and now trail Australia 1-2 in the ongoing series.
The report also added that Rohit is no longer in the selectors plans, as far as the Test set-up is concerned.
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