Former India coach Ravi Shastri said on Friday that he expected captain Rohit Sharma to “pull the plug” on his red-ball career after being dropped from the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney.
The 37-year-old opener has had a poor series, and it became apparent when he missed India’s eve-of-match press conference.
Acting captain Jasprit Bumrah emphasized at the coin toss that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the team’s benefit rather than being forced out. However, Shastri suspects this could mark the end of Rohit’s 67-Test career, predicting a retirement announcement after the game.
Shastri stated, “It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, ‘I’m prepared to take the bench in this game.'”
“If there was a home season coming up, he might have considered continuing, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test.”
Rohit retired from T20 internationals last year after winning the World Cup but has yet to call time on his ODI career. His recent form has been disappointing, especially following India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand in October-November.
Should Rohit retire, it would be the second retirement of the tour, with off-spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin also heading home after the third Test at the Gabba.
