Mark Taylor Questions Rohit Sharma’s ‘Rest’ in Sydney Test, Suggests He Was Dropped Over Poor Form

The former Australian captain claims India’s skipper was dropped, not rested, as poor form continues to haunt Rohit Sharma in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Sydney [Australia], January 3: Former Australia cricketer Mark Taylor has questioned the official narrative behind Rohit Sharma’s absence from the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. Speaking to Triple M Cricket, Taylor asserted that the Indian skipper was “dropped” due to poor form, despite being publicly labeled as “rested.”

During the toss at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah confirmed that Rohit Sharma had opted to rest for the decisive match of the series.

However, Taylor dismissed the reasoning, stating, “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. There’s no doubt—he’s been dropped. And I don’t know why they just don’t say he’s been dropped.”

Taylor further clarified that being dropped does not indicate the end of a player’s career but reflects the realities of professional sports.

“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 professional sport, and that’s what’s happened,” Taylor remarked.

The former Aussie skipper emphasized the importance of Shubman Gill’s return and the inclusion of Prasidh Krishna in place of Akash Deep, noting that India needs to capitalize on favorable batting conditions in the Sydney Test.

Rohit Sharma’s Form Under Scrutiny

Rohit Sharma’s performance in the ongoing series has been underwhelming, with the experienced batter managing just 31 runs across five innings at an average of 6.20. This rough patch follows a disappointing outing in the Bangladesh series, where he scored 42 runs in two matches at an average of 10.50.

Despite flashes of brilliance from India’s batting lineup, inconsistency from senior players like Rohit has placed additional pressure on the younger talents, including Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, to deliver in crucial situations.

As India fights to level the series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the spotlight remains firmly on the team’s batting performance and how they adapt without their regular captain in the lineup.