NEW DELHI: Is Rohit Sharma dropped or rested? India captain Rohit on Saturday addressed the speculation regarding his absence from the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Rohit, who has played three Tests against Australia in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, has struggled with the bat, averaging just 6.2, with a highest score of 10.
During the lunch break on Day 2, Rohit spoke to broadcasters and clarified the reason behind missing the SCG Test.
Poll
In which format do you think Rohit Sharma is most impactful for India?
Broadcasters: There were reports suggesting you were rested, dropped, or opted out.
Rohit: None of that is true. I stood down. I informed the selectors and coach that I wasn’t scoring runs, so I decided to step away.
“I stood down that is what I would say. Basically the chat I had with the coach and selector was simple: I am not in form, it is an important match and we need a player in form. Not thinking too far ahead, right now what the team needs is the priority,” Rohit said.
“I made this decision after we came here (Sydney), it was going on in my mind that it is important for me to step aside because I wasn’t getting runs with the bat.
“When I arrived in Perth it was quite evident why we won that game, we had that 200-run (opening) partnership in the second innings which is what won us the game. KL Rahul and Jaiswal played really well, and they brought us into situation where we couldn’t lose the game,” Rohit said.
Rohit had stepped away from T20 international cricket last year after leading India to the World Cup, though he has not yet announced his retirement from ODIs.
He missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child, and since then, his form has dipped, failing to exceed 10 runs in any of his five innings.
This slump in form mirrors his disappointing performance during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand in October-November.
