Rohit Sharma has reportedly taken a massive call right before the fifth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). Indian Express has reported that Rohit Sharma has opted to rest for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy's grand finale which is slated to start from January 3. Should Rohit miss the last Test, Jasprit Bumrah will be seen leading Team India's pack.
Rohit Sharma opts to rest for fifth Test against Australia
The report further suggests that Rohit Sharma kept India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in loop about his decision to opt-out of fifth Test against Australia which was approved by the both the officials.
This development could potentially mark the end of Rohit Sharma's Test career for India. Given that India is unlikely to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2024-2025 final in the current cycle, and with the next cycle beginning with a tour of England in the summer, it seems unlikely that Rohit will be considered for selection.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is likely to walk into India's playing XI in Rohit's absence. Notably, Shubman was dropped from India's fold in the MCG Test which Rohit's men ended up losing by 184 runs to trail 1-2 in the five-match series. He is likely to bat at number three, while KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings.
Earlier, during India's pre-match press conference on January 2, Gautam Gambhir was asked about Rohit's spot in India's playing XI for the final Test, to which he remained evasive despite frequent inquiries.
“Everything is fine with Rohit. We are going to have a look at the wicket and announce the playing XI tomorrow,” Gambhir said in the press conference.
Later, Rohit's absence from slip cordon was noticed during India's practice session. With Kohli at first, KL at second and Reddy at third. While Shubman Gill was taking catches at slip for a spinner.
Rohit Sharma's batting fiasco
Rohit's batting woes have only grown with time in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025. After missing the series opener in Perth, he could only score 31 runs across five innings in the series. His lean patch wasn't limited to this as it goes beyond the current tour. Rohit has scored just 164 runs in 15 innings across the last three series he has played, with only one half-century to his name, resulting in a dismal average of 10.93. Rohit's average plummeted to a record-low 6.20 for a touring captain in a Test series in Australia (with a minimum of five innings). This unfortunate record surpasses that of West Indies bowling legend Courtney Walsh, who averaged 7.75 during the 1996/97 tour of Australia.
The development only hints at speculations around Rohit's Test retirement which looks imminent now, given his back-to-back flop show with the bat.