Former Indian batter Mohammed Kaif believes Rohit Sharma made the wrong call to opt out of the SCG Test against Australia. After Rohit could only manage 31 runs in five innings at 6.20, he decided to stood out and said the team could not afford to carry any more out-of-form batters.
Kaif reckons Rohit’s services were needed as a leader when Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the second innings due to a back injury. In Bumrah’s absence, former Indian captain Virat Kohli led the team on the pitch.
Kaif feels Rohit will no longer play in Test matches and he should call time in the red-ball version.
The former UP batter said in a video on X, “I think Rohit should no longer play in Tests because he was needed the most in the Sydney Test match, I had said he should have played. It would’ve been the right call. He should have forged a partnership with Jaiswal, led [the team] to a 2-2 draw [in the series]. [He should’ve] Taken a lead and after a 2-2, he should have come back with honor but he wasted it by not playing. He felt that he is a team man, he called in-form batter Shubman Gill and said, ‘I’m not playing.’”
“See, his absence was felt when Bumrah got injured in the second innings. Rohit Sharma as a captain would’ve been there [if he had played]. He has been with the team, he knows Akash Deep, Siraj, Jadeja or Prasidh Krishna is playing, and Rohit was traveling with all of them. So, your main leader, at the crucial time, there was no one, neither Bumrah nor Rohit Sharma,” he added.
The Natwest trophy final hero added that Rohit made the wrong decision to sit out as Virat Kohli was forced to lead in Bumrah’s absence.
“The one who [Virat Kohli] is not leading for the last few years is leading the team, asking Siraj and Jadeja ‘What are you going to do? Tell me.’ Prasidh Krishna was playing his first match, his length was not right. Who is supporting your young bowlers where there was pressure? There was no one. So, I said that Rohit Sharma took the wrong decision to sit out.”
Kaif noted that many out-of-form batters were playing in the series from both teams despite their lack of runs.
“He should have played, it doesn’t matter whether he had failed to score runs. No one was scoring runs. Neither it was Kohli, Khawaja or Labuschagne [who was scoring big]. Smith’s form came too late, there were no high-scoring matches.”
“Everyone was struggling for runs. KL Rahul scored in the beginning, but he too failed later, scoring 100 or 0 at times. So, nobody scored runs. As a leader, there was a big role for Rohit Sharma in that Test match. Just being out there with the team that boss,” Kaif added.
Rohit will look to be at his best in the upcoming Champions Trophy.
