"None of the three! [opted out, rested or dropped] I stood down," - Rohit Sharma, India's regular captain coined a fourth term on Star Sports following his exclusion from the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney. The intrigue and mystery around Rohit's ouster overstayed its welcome as even Ravi Shastri too quietly played down the absence of Indian captain on Friday, January 3 at the SCG as Jasprit Bumrah came out for the toss.
However, Rohit during his interaction with the principal broadcaster during the lunch break on the second day decided to say it as it was amid all the reports, leaks and speculations. "The chat I had with the coach and the selector was very simple that I wasn't scoring runs, I didn't have the form, it's an important game and we need players in form and otherwise too, our batters generally haven't been in great touch. We can't carry out-of-form players for too long in the team. That was going on in my mind. That is what I communicated to the coach and selector and they backed my decision," Rohit added.
"It was a difficult decision but considering everything, it was a sensible decision. I am not thinking too far ahead, the only thought was what the team needed at this point," the 37-year-old said after scoring 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20. Rohit has been poor in the ongoing Test season starting from the Bangladesh series, the 3-0 hammering against New Zealand and now the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
"I took the call after arriving in Sydney. It was lingering on my mind that I am trying my level best but it wasn't happening and I had to take the call," Rohit further said while taking a dig at all the reports and speculations. The Indian skipper mentioned that the people on the outside with laptops in hand won't decide whether certain players should play, when they should play or captain. Rohit also clarified that he wasn't stepping down or stepping away from the game, the decision was made purely for this Test match.
"This decision is not a retirement call, neither I'm stepping away. But I sat out of this game because I have not been scoring runs. But it's not a guarantee that I will not score runs even after five months or after two months. We have seen enough cricket to understand, that every minute, every second, every day life changes. I have belief in myself that things will change but at the same time, I have to be realistic as well.
"I am a sensible man. I am mature enough, a father of two to know and understand what I want in life," Rohit further said.
Rohit missed the series opener in Perth which India won by 295 runs before the slate of losses began in Adelaide. The Gabba Test was drawn following incessant rains in Brisbane that week before Australia stood too powerful to let India dictate terms in Melbourne. Australia are 2-1 ahead but India have a chance not only to square the series but also to stay in the hunt for a place in the World Test Championship final.
