Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes Rohit Sharma might decide to call time on his Test career after the conclusion of the fifth Test match against Australia at the SCG. Rohit opted out of the final Test of the series because of his poor form and Jasprit Bumrah is leading in his absence.

Rohit hasn’t been able to lead from the front in the ongoing Test series as he has returned with scores of 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9 and thus aggregated only 31 runs at an average of 6.20. Furthermore, Rohit has managed a solitary fifty in last 15 Test innings and he hasn’t been at his best with the bat.

“Our captain has shown his leadership, he’s opted to rest in this game,” Bumrah said at the toss (via Hindustan Times). “So that shows there’s a lot of unity in our team, there’s no selfishness, whatever is in the team’s best interest, we are looking to do that.”

Shastri reckons it is a brave call from Rohit Sharma but it is in the right interest of the team.

“It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, ‘I’m prepared to take the bench in this game,’” Shastri said (via ABC).

“If there was a home season coming up he might’ve thought of carrying on, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test. He’s not getting younger … it’s not that India don’t have youngsters. There are very, very good players in the wings and it’s time to build. Tough decisions, but there is a time for everything,” he added.

Rohit has been under the pump for his batting form and took a selfless decision for the team to bench himself. 

Bumrah has decided to bat first after winning the toss and India are 95-4 in the second session of the opening day.