New Delhi, Jan 2 Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said he would not be surprised if captain Rohit Sharma retires from Test cricket. He added that if Rohit has a swansong game, then he should bow out from the format on a high.
Speculations over Rohit’s future intensified on the eve of the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy series Test at Sydney, where head coach Gautam Gambhir said in the pre-match press conference that the playing eleven will be decided after having a look at the pitch ahead of day one’s play, while not saying if the Indian skipper is a guaranteed starter for the match starting on Friday.
In the ongoing series, Rohit has made just 31 runs at an average of 6.2 in three games. “He'll take a call on his career but I won't be shocked at all (if Sharma retires) because he's not getting younger. There are other young players in the wings, there's Shubman Gill, a player of his quality averaging over 40 in the year 2024 and not playing.”
“It tricks your brain as to what is he doing sitting on the bench and warming it. So I won't be surprised but it's his call. At the end of the day, if India had qualified for the World Test Championship (final) or if they still qualify for the final, then it's another thing altogether.”
“Otherwise, I think it might just be the opportune time - but (if Sharma plays) he should go out with a blaze of glory. If I was anywhere near Rohit Sharma, I'll tell him, ‘Just go and smash it. Just go out there and have a blast’.
“Just as it is when you're trying to play the way you are at the moment, it's not looking great. Go out there and take the attack to the opposition and then let's see what happens,” said Shastri on The ICC Review show.
He also feels Rohit’s red-ball form has nosedived in the last few months due to him not playing his natural game, and equated his situation to the struggles of Australia opener Usman Khawaja.
“I think from the outside when I see it, I think he's a little late on the ball. His feet aren't moving as well as they normally do. Even at his prime, his footwork was minimal, but there was more. He was more towards the ball. At the moment, I think he's caught on the crease.”
“It is much like (Usman) Khawaja in the Australian team, where you're neither forward nor back. And I think when Rohit is moving more towards the ball and the intent is there to take on the opposition, that's when the right signals go from the brain to the feet to do what they have to do.”
“I want him to just get out there, smash it, try and win this Test match. You might have lost a Test. You have not lost the series as yet. Try and win this Test match to keep that Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It’s going out there and not playing his natural game (that’s affecting him),” he elaborated.
The fifth and final Test begins on Friday, with Australia having a 2-1 lead. India must win the Test at Sydney to keep their slim chances of entering next year’s World Test Championship final alive. They would also hope Australia to not win any of their two Tests in Sri Lanka, happening later this month, to seal their spot for playing the WTC final at Lord's in June.
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