Rohit Sharma (Getty Images) SYDNEY: The decision to drop a woefully out-of-form Rohit Sharma from the playing XI in the fifth Test was confirmed when Jasprit Bumrah walked out for the toss on Friday. However, the entire cloak-and-dagger manner in which the regular Test captain was removed left more questions than answers. It may be unprecedented for an Indian captain to drop himself because of poor form, but that is no excuse for prevarication on the part of the team management or the BCCI .
Removing him may not even immediately alter the outcome of this series but it’s a fact that Rohit was struggling to fit in, given his poor returns with the bat. Tinkering with the XI, by either dropping regular No. 3 Shubman Gill or packing the side with batting allrounders to cover up for top-order failures, was affecting the balance of the side.
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant on dropped Rohit Sharma, criticism, Jasprit Bumrah Bumrah, however, made a cryptic statement at the toss which again raised eyebrows. "Our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game. That shows there's a lot of unity in this team," he said.
What is the need for euphemisms like 'rested' when it is clear he has been dropped in the team's interest, a move which Rohit himself would likely support? Why wasn't the decision made official by the BCCI but instead left to all and sundry to speculate about, for more than a period of 24 hours? Why is there still no clarity on Rohit's Test future or his status as r.
