Rohit Sharma has been dropped for India’s fifth and final Test against Australia, which is scheduled to take place at Sydney Cricket Ground. The 37-year-old, who is going through a difficult time, has reached an agreement with head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar on the choice. Rohit has struggled in the ongoing five-match Test series, scoring only 31 runs in three innings.
He skipped the first Test match because he wanted to spend more time with his family after his second child was born. However, since joining the team, he has failed to score significantly. Rohit has been struggling with his bat for some time. Rohit’s average in the present BGT is 6.20. It is critical to note that this Sydney Test will be India’s final red-ball match in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
If the BCCI does not keep him in the next WTC cycle, the Melbourne Boxing Day Test could be his final outing in whites. Earlier in the press conference, head coach Gautam Gambhir hinted that Rohit might not play the Sydney Test. And now that the news has surfaced, it would be interesting to watch if India can return to their best in the absence of their all-format captain.
Time to Pass the Torch
His results since the beginning of 2024 have also been disappointing. In 14 matches last year, he averaged 24.76 and scored 619 runs, including two hundreds and two fifties. Rohit has struggled for runs since he scored 103 against England in March 2024. Rohit has scored 154 runs in 15 innings at an average of 10.26, including a high of 52 against New Zealand in Bengaluru.
His absence from the pre-match news conference, combined with Gautam Gambhir’s comments on the playing XI, made speculations. As it stands, India’s transition is going at a fast pace, and Rohit has officially called it a day. Bumrah, India’s chosen vice-captain, was confident in taking the armband for the second time in the series during Thursday’s practice session. He exchanged handshakes with Gill and joked with Rohit.
