Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has shared that if he were still in charge during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he wouldn’t have allowed Rohit Sharma to miss the final Test match. Shastri believes Rohit, being a proven match-winner, could have made the difference in helping India level the series.
Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket following a disappointing World Test Championship series loss to Australia. His form in Tests had been underwhelming, highlighted by a poor run of scores that saw him miss the crucial Sydney Test. Reflecting on Rohit’s exit, Shastri spoke about a conversation they had at an IPL match, just before the retirement became public.
“I think it was in Mumbai, and I told him, if I were the coach, you would have never not played that last Test. You would have played that last Test because the series wasn’t over,” Shastri said during the latest episode of the ICC Review. He emphasized his competitive mindset, explaining, “And I’m not someone who threw in the towel with the scoreline 2-1. If your mindset is that you feel you are… that’s not the stage; you leave a team. That was a 30-40 run game.”
Rohit Sharma had a disappointing tour of Australia, missing the opening Test due to the birth of his son and scoring just 31 runs in the three matches he did play. His lean patch extended beyond the Australia series, as he managed to cross the 50-run mark only once in his last eight Tests—including home series against Bangladesh and New Zealand—averaging just 10.93 during that period.
Despite his form, Shastri remained adamant that Rohit’s experience and game-changing ability could have altered the outcome at the Sydney Test. “And that’s exactly what I told him. The pitch was so spicy in Sydney. Whatever kind of form he was in, he’s a match-winner. If he had gone, sensed the situation, sensed the condition and smashed it for even 35-40 at the top, you never know,” he said. “That series would have been level. But that’s each one to his own. Other people have different styles. This would have been my style, and I let him know it. It’s sitting in my heart for a long time.”
In Rohit’s absence, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah stepped in as captain for the Sydney Test, marking a significant moment in the series.
