Gavaskar Suggests Rohit Sharma May Have Played His Final Test Match

Sydney, Jan 3 (NationPress) Renowned cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his belief that India captain Rohit Sharma may have played his final Test for the national team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground after he opted to rest for the fifth Test against Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

Rohit’s participation in the concluding match of the series was in doubt following head coach Gautam Gambhir’s surprising remarks regarding the captain’s inclusion in the playing XI during the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

However, by the end of Thursday evening, it became clear that Rohit would not be part of the match. During the toss, Jasprit Bumrah took over as captain, while Shubman Gill stepped in for Rohit in the playing XI. Another alteration to India’s squad saw Prasidh Krishna replace the injured Akash Deep.

Rohit’s struggles with the bat forced him to make way for the younger player. He managed to score only 31 runs over five innings in three Tests, appearing far from his usual performance and struggling to execute his signature shots, including his trademark front pull. The year 2024 proved particularly difficult for Rohit in Test cricket. Across 14 matches and 26 innings, he accumulated just 619 runs at an average of 24.76, with only two centuries and a single half-century to his name.

As the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle comes to a close for India with the Australia tour, Gavaskar believes it is the appropriate moment to prepare for the upcoming cycle.

“Well, I think what it probably means is that India don’t qualify for the World Test Championship final. To me, it looks like the Melbourne Test could be Rohit Sharma’s last game. The new WTC cycle will begin with the England series, so they will want someone who will be available for the 2027 final. Whether India reaches the final or not is a different issue, but I think that’s what the selection committee will aim for. Thus, we may have indeed seen Rohit Sharma for the last time in Test cricket,” Gavaskar stated on Star Sports.

The veteran implied that Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selection committee, likely played a significant role in the decision to rest Rohit for the final Test of the series. With India trailing 1-2 ahead of the Sydney Test, securing a victory in the last match was vital to maintain their hopes for a spot in the WTC final.

“At the end of the day, he is also part of the selection committee. In Indian cricket, there’s a selection committee that chooses the squad for overseas tours. Upon arrival overseas, the captain, coach, and one selector generally form the selection committee. I believe the chairman of the selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, is here, so he would have contributed to the decision made. Perhaps some senior players in the team were consulted,” Gavaskar continued.

When asked by Ravi Shastri about Rohit after winning the toss, Bumrah remarked, “Our captain has displayed leadership; he has chosen to rest. This reflects our unity. We have two changes: Rohit has opted out, and Prasidh comes in for the injured Akash Deep.”