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Turning point for Rohit, but not for Indian batters

ByAshish Magotra, Sydney
Jan 04, 2025 06:32 AM IST

Rohit, whose name was not even included in the 16 for the game, spent most of the day in the dressing room, quietly keeping an eye on the proceedings

It was a done deal but there was still some excitement at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday morning when Rohit Sharma suddenly decided to warm up. It proved to be a false dawn, however, as he soon returned to the dressing room, choosing not to practice slip-catching. A little later, Jasprit Bumrah, wearing the India blazer, emerged from the dressing room and headed out for the toss for the fifth and final Test of the five-match series that India are trailing 1-2.

Rishabh Pant is struck by a short delivery from Australia's Mitchell Starc during the fifth Test match at Sydney. (AAP Image via REUTERS)
Rishabh Pant is struck by a short delivery from Australia's Mitchell Starc during the fifth Test match at Sydney. (AAP Image via REUTERS)

This was the first time in history that an India skipper sat out of a Test due to lack of form.

Shubman Gill replaced Rohit in the 11 but India’s batting fortunes in the series did not change much. After winning the toss, Bumrah, who captained India in the series opener in Perth in Rohit’s absence, chose to bat on an unusually green and bouncy SCG pitch in overcast conditions. Australia’s bowlers took advantage of the lively track to wrap up India’s batting for 185. Scott Boland took 4/31, while Mitchell Starc returned figures of 3/49, as India was bowled out for less than 200 for the fifth time in the series.

It showed that there was a lot more to India’s batting woes than just Rohit’s bad form.

At stumps, Australia were 9/1, with Bumrah having Usman Khawaja caught at slip off the final ball of the day following a brief run-in between Bumrah and youngster Sam Konstas at the non-striker’s end.

At the toss, Bumrah said that Rohit had himself made the decision to sit out. “Our captain has shown his leadership, he’s opted to rest in this game,” Bumrah said. “So that shows there’s a lot of unity in our team, there’s no selfishness, whatever is in the team’s best interest, we are looking to do that.”

At close of play on Day 1, however, Rishabh Pant suggested that it was a “management call” to keep Rohit out.

“It was an emotional decision because he has been captain for a long time,” said Pant. “We see him as a leader of the team but there are some decisions you are not involved in. It is a management call and I was not part of that conversation.”

Pant was India’s highest scorer on Friday with an extremely patient 40 off 98 balls, while bravely taking knocks to his body. The next highest score was Ravindra Jadeja’s 26 off 95 balls as the relentless Australia bowling pack hardly gave anything away.

Virat Kohli could have been out the first ball he faced, nicking it to the slips where Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne completed in what looked like a spectacular catch. But DRS ruled it not out. He went on to play 68 more deliveries for 17, and was out once again edging one to the slips. Kohli now has been dismissed seven times in the series so far and all of them have been of edges to the keeper or the slips.

Outside the unbeaten century in the second innings at Perth, Kohli averages 13.16 in the series. Over the last five years, Kohli averages 31.10. And that’s worse than Rohit in the same period (36.00).

Rohit, who only made his Test debut in 2013 despite making his ODI debut in 2007, is a batter whose overseas game was always said to be suspect. But he made his mark during the 2021 tour of England where he played with great patience and composure to aggregate 368 runs in four Tests at an average of 52.57 with a century and two fifties. It made one believe that he had truly come to terms with the format even in unfriendly conditions.

But he hasn’t managed to stay on course and in the last five years, and on the current tour, there has had a complete breakdown — 31 runs at average of 6.20.

Rohit, whose name was not even included in the 16 for the game, spent most of the day in the dressing room, quietly keeping an eye on the proceedings and maybe reflecting on his future in the longest format of the game.

India are not scheduled to play another Test until June, a tour to England, and the long gap could be a clincher. Speaking on commentary for Fox Cricket, former Indian coach Ravi Shastri said he felt Rohit would announce his Test retirement after the series.

“It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, ‘I’m prepared to take the bench in this game’,” he said. “If there was a home season coming up he might’ve thought of carrying on, but I think he 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. Tough decisions, but there is a time for everything.”

The final decision may also depend on how India does in the Champions Trophy. Rohit is still the ODI captain and a good run there may rekindle hopes for a Test comeback -- or maybe not.

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