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Former India coach Ravi Shastri recently explained why he didn’t ask Jasprit Bumrah about Rohit Sharma’s absence during the toss at the Sydney Test against Australia. This match was very important for India because they were 1-2 down in the series and needed to win to keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Before the match, many people were unsure why Rohit wasn’t playing. Some thought he might be injured or had other reasons for missing the game. The confusion was cleared when Bumrah, instead of Rohit, walked out for the toss. Bumrah won the toss and decided to bat on a green pitch, which is often difficult to bat on.
Shastri, who had been doing the toss presentations for the whole series, didn’t ask Bumrah directly about why Rohit was missing. Instead, he asked Bumrah about the team combination. Bumrah quickly answered the question himself, saying, "Our captain has shown his leadership; he’s opted to rest in this game. This shows there’s a lot of unity in our team, and we are doing what is best for the team."
Former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar was surprised by Shastri not asking about Rohit’s absence right away. He said, "I was amazed that at the toss he wasn’t asked. I would have asked that question first."
Shastri explained that before he could ask, Bumrah had already spoken about Rohit. He said, “Before I could ask him, Bumrah mentioned that the captain chose to sit out and that Shubman Gill would play instead.” Shastri also added that this kind of decision can happen when a player is struggling with form or is not mentally ready.
Shastri called it a "brave call" from Rohit to rest for the Test. He also said that this might be the end of Rohit’s career in Test cricket. “If there was a home series coming up, he might have played, but after this Test, he might decide to stop playing Tests,” Shastri said.
Rohit had already retired from T20 international cricket last year after leading India to a World Cup win. He hasn’t yet made a decision about his future in One-Day Internationals (ODIs). Rohit missed the first Test in Perth to be with his family for the birth of his second child, and since then, his form has not been good. He has failed to score more than 10 runs in his last five innings.
This decision to rest for the Test shows that India is focusing on building a strong team for the future, with younger players like Shubman Gill getting a chance. Shastri said tough decisions like these are part of cricket, and there is always a time to bring in new players.
