SYDNEY: “Arey bhai mein kidar nahee Jaa rahahu (Hey man, I’m not going anywhere).” That was Rohit Sharma having his last word before finishing his interview with the official broadcaster during lunch break on day two.
From the time Jasprit Bumrah walked out for toss donning India blazer with Sharma nowhere to be seen during national anthem, murmurs and speculations have been doing rounds on whether we have seen the last of the Indian captain.
The 37-year-old put an end to everything on Saturday afternoon. Asked whether he was dropped or opted out or rested, Sharma said it was he who stood down. “I will say one thing and it will have 50 interpretations. I had a chat with the coach and the selector was very simple. I am not making runs at the moment. I am not in form and it's an important game. We need an in-form player. Our batting order isn't in form at the moment. So out of form players can't carry the team at the moment. So this was the simple thing in my mind. It was my understanding that I should tell the coach and the selector and they backed my call," said Rohit who was replaced by Shubman Gill in the playing XI.
Sharma went on to confirm that he is not retiring and there is no guarantee how things will be five months down the line — which is when India will play their next Test match. "This is not a decision of retirement. I am not moving away from this game. But I took a decision to step away from this game because I was not able to score runs with the bat. There is no guarantee that I will score runs two months or five months from now. I have seen a lot of cricket, every minute, every second and everyday life changes. I believe that things will change but at the same time I have to be realistic as well. People sitting in the commentary box, or writing with a laptop in their hands, will not decide how my life goes," Rohit said. "I have played the game for so long, that they will not decide when I play, how I play, when I captain, or when I step down. I am a sensible person, a matured person, father of 2 kids, I have some brain, and I know what I want from my life," he concluded.
The Indian captain had been struggling from the time he arrived in Australia averaging 6.2 with the bat. With two losses in three games, there were doubts and questions over his place and captaincy. On the eve of the fifth Test, with the series scoreline reading 1-2, Sharma stepped down with Bumrah leading the side. At lunch on day two Australia were 101/5 after India got all out for 185.
