Rohit Sharma Opens Up: Why He Stepped Aside for Sydney Test Against Australia

India captain Rohit Sharma has revealed that his decision to opt out of the Sydney Test during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy was not a straightforward one and involved a "disagreement" with team management. Speaking to former Australia captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, Rohit explained that the move to drop himself came after introspection and honest assessment of his form, keeping the team’s best interest in mind.

Rohit explained during a mid-match interview that he had decided to step aside because he wasn’t happy with his own form. But the decision didn’t work out. On Day 2, Bumrah got injured, and without him, India’s pace attack looked weak. They couldn’t put up much of a fight and ended up losing the match in Sydney, along with the series 3-1.

Almost three months later, Rohit Sharma has finally opened up about what went on during that time. In an honest chat with former Australian captain Michael Clarke on the Beyond23 Cricket Podcast, the Indian skipper shared what was going through his mind before the Sydney Test.

Rohit had missed the first Test in Perth because he was on paternity leave, a match India won convincingly. He came back for the second Test in Adelaide, ready to help the team. But he admitted that even though he was eager to play his part, he felt he wasn’t living up to his expectations with the bat.

“I didn't have a great game (in Adelaide). Then I went back to the room, and I was like, I should've opened man. I would rather fail doing what I do and where I do it. That's my place, that's my position. I would rather go there and bat, whether I get success or not, it's a different story. But I'm in my natural position for the team,” Rohit stated.

“And I said, no. It's only one game. Let's not overthink, let's give it another game. It's 1-1. We can try and change things around in Brisbane. And then, it was a draw. When we got back to Melbourne, we changed our mind. I went back to open the innings, and in the last Test match... I had to be honest with myself. I wasn't hitting the ball well. I didn't want to put myself there only because we had dropped the other guys who were struggling as well,” Rohit said.

Rohit Wanted Gill to Play in Sydney, Even If It Meant Dropping Himself

Rohit talked about the final Test and said the team wanted Shubman Gill to play in Sydney. Since Gill didn’t play in the Melbourne match, Rohit felt it was better for him to step aside and give the youngster a chance. But when he shared this idea with coach Gautam Gambhir and selector Ajit Agarkar, there was some disagreement.

"We somehow wanted Gill to play, he's such a good player. He missed out in the previous Test match. I'm like... okay, if I'm not hitting the ball well... things can change five days later, ten days later. I spoke to the coach and the selector, and there was an argument around it. You try and put the team first, you look at what the team wants, and make the decision accordingly. Sometimes it will work, sometimes it may not. That's how it goes. Every decision you try and make, you aren't guaranteed success,” said Rohit.

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