Why Did Shastri Say Rohit Should Have Played the Sydney Test?

New Delhi, May 16 (NationPress) Ravi Shastri, the former head coach of India, expressed that he would have ensured Rohit Sharma, who recently declared his retirement from Test cricket, played in the crucial final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia in Sydney earlier this year.

Last week, Rohit concluded his Test cricket journey with 4,301 runs in 67 matches, boasting an average of 40.57, which includes 12 centuries and a personal best score of 212. As India’s Test captain since 2022, Rohit led the team in 24 Tests, securing 12 victories and guiding the squad to the runners-up position in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final.

However, a slump in form since September last year placed Rohit’s Test career in a precarious position. During the home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, Rohit managed to pass the 50-run mark only once, averaging a mere 10.93.

After missing the opening Test in Perth due to the birth of his son, Rohit returned for the subsequent three Tests but accumulated only 31 runs. This disappointing performance resulted in the 38-year-old being absent from the final Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the SCG in January.

Shastri remarked, "I observed Rohit frequently at the toss during an IPL match. There isn't much time to converse at the toss, but I did place my hand on his shoulder in one of the matches. I told him that had I been the coach, he would have undoubtedly played in that last Test match.

"You should have participated in that match because the series was still ongoing. I am not one to concede defeat with a scoreline of 2-1. If your mentality is that you are... that's not the mindset to leave a team," Shastri conveyed during The ICC Review show.

With the series at 2-1 at that point, Shastri elaborated on why Rohit should have played in Sydney. "That was a 30-40 run game. I mentioned this to him. The pitch was extremely lively in Sydney. Regardless of his form, he's a match-winner.

“Had he gone out, read the situation, and made even 35-40 runs at the top, you never know. The series could have been leveled. But everyone has their own approach. This is how I would have handled it, and I needed to express this to him. It has been on my mind for a long time. I had to let it out, and I conveyed that to him."

With the retirements of Rohit and Virat Kohli from Test cricket, India is set to enter a fresh era as they embark on a highly anticipated five-match tour of England, commencing on June 20 at Headingley. This series against England will also initiate the new ICC World Test Championship cycle for India.