Amid the growing speculations over Rohit Sharma’s future in Test cricket and potential retirement after the end of the fifth and final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in Sydney, former Australia captain Michael Clarke jumped to India captain’s defence, saying that he has earned the right to draw curtains on his career on his own terms.
Speaking to ESPN, Clarke admitted that while the numbers certainly “don’t read great,” being a captain of the Indian team, he has the right in taking the call on his own future. Hence, the former Australia batter reckoned head coach Gautam Gambhir is unlikely to drop Rohit for the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which will begin in another two days.
“The numbers are interesting. It happens with several players. For some people, captaincy helps; for others, it doesn’t. I certainly feel he will play in Sydney. They won’t drop him. I think Rohit has earned the right to walk on his own terms, and he is the captain, and when you are leading the side, you get a bit of leeway. The numbers don’t read great. I’m not sure if Sydney will be his last. I’m not sure what he is thinking Test cricket-wise, nor do I know how he feels captaincy-wise,” he said.
Rohit has been under fire over his poor run of form since September, where he scored just 164 runs across three series at a woeful average of just over 10. The criticism peaked during the recently concluded Melbourne Test after he took the decision to return as an opener, after having batted at No. 6 in Adelaide and Brisbane, which forced in-firm KL Rahul to bat at No. 3, while Shubman Gill was dropped. Rohit’s fortune failed to change as his disastrous run continued, sparking speculations over whether he would at all play in the fifth Test.
‘Alarming’ Jasprit Bumrah detail gets exposed
Former Australia captain Aaron Finch, who was part of the panel as well, agreed with Clarke that Rohit will play at the SCG. However, he highlighted an “alarming” detail that India looked more settled under Jasprit Bumrah in Perth, where India won the match by an emphatic margin, than under Rohit.
“He will definitely play. The alarming thing for me will be how well they play under Bumrah’s captaincy in Perth. Since Rohit has returned, the line-up has looked unsettled. But he is still a beautiful player, and I hope he gets runs,” he said.
With rumours around Rohit brewing, it is expected that Bumrah, the vice-captain, would next take over the leadership reigns.
