Former BCCI selector Jatin Paranjpe believes that India could have levelled the Test series in Australia earlier this year if Rohit Sharma had not dropped himself from the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney.
Rohit, who was going through a lean patch and had scored just 31 runs in the series, made the bold call to step aside for the final Test. In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah was given the responsibility of captaincy.
Paranjpe, while speaking on the ‘A Century of Stories’ podcast with Cyrus Broacha, recalled Rohit’s passion for red-ball cricket: “I remember he was not playing Test cricket for India. And we had this conversation, and he said, ‘I started playing cricket with a red ball, Jatin. How can you say that I am not interested in Test cricket?’ I got the message, and I was hoping that that was what he would say.”
He further added: “He said he lives for Test cricket. I think Rohit Sharma could have done a lot more in Test cricket. I think he would be the first one to say that as well. I was a little bit disappointed that he chose to drop himself in Sydney because we could have levelled the series.”
Rohit’s decision to sit out the Sydney Test was among the final chapters of his Test career. Earlier this year during the IPL, the 37-year-old announced his retirement from Test cricket, and not long after, Virat Kohli also walked away from red-ball cricket.
Over his Test career, Rohit Sharma played 67 matches, scoring 4,301 runs in 116 innings at an average of 40.57. He recorded 12 centuries and 18 fifties, with a highest score of 212.
Rohit had earlier retired from T20Is after leading India to a World Cup title in 2024. While he has stepped away from the longest and shortest formats, he remains available to represent India in ODI cricket.
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