January 3, 2025: Former Australia cricketer Mark Taylor has weighed in on the decision to rest India’s captain Rohit Sharma for the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney, suggesting that there is little doubt that the 37-year-old was effectively dropped due to his poor recent form.
During the toss on the opening day of the Sydney Test, Jasprit Bumrah appeared in a blazer and confirmed that Rohit Sharma had “opted to rest” for the match. However, Mark Taylor, speaking to Triple M Cricket at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), made it clear that in his view, no captain would voluntarily skip a crucial final match of a series unless there were specific reasons related to performance.
Taylor said, “The bottom line is, the captain of a country does not opt out for the final test match, the final deciding test match of a series. He’s no doubt, he’s been dropped. And I don’t know why they just don’t say he’s been dropped.”
He further elaborated, acknowledging that while Rohit Sharma may have been dropped for this match, it doesn’t mean he’s dropped permanently from the team. “It doesn’t mean he’s dropped forever. It means he’s missing this Test match because he’s been out of form. That’s not a crime. That’s unfortunately professional sport and that’s what’s happened,” Taylor explained.
Despite his strong leadership, Rohit Sharma’s recent form has been a concern, especially in the ongoing series against Australia. Sharma has struggled to make a significant impact with the bat, with just 31 runs from five innings in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy at an average of 6.20. This followed a similarly disappointing performance during the Bangladesh series, where he could only manage 42 runs in two Test matches, averaging a mere 10.50.
Taylor also highlighted that India’s batting has been under pressure in this series, particularly with senior players like Rohit Sharma failing to deliver. With such form concerns, the responsibility has shifted to the younger players, who are expected to step up and help India post competitive totals.
For this match, India has made changes, bringing in Shubman Gill in place of Rohit Sharma, while Krishna has replaced Akash Deep.
As the Sydney Test got underway, India won the toss and chose to bat first. With Rohit Sharma absent, India’s top order, especially the younger batters, will be keen to make a statement and help their team to a strong total in this final, decisive Test match of the series.
