Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed the team management for not backing Rohit Sharma throughout the series. (AP)
Former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu slammed the national team management after skipper Rohit Sharma was dropped for Friday’s fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
With a rut of low scores hampering Rohit and India after the Boxing Day Test, the captain opted out of the 16-member squad for the final Test, with Jasprit Bumrah taking over leadership duties for the second time in the series. Sidhu, who represented India in 51 Tests and 136 ODIs said the call to leave Rohit out from the side during the series sent wrong signals, insisting the 37-year-old Mumbaikar deserved more “respect”.
“A Captain should never be dropped midstream nor given the option to opt out … sends wrong signals,” Sidhu wrote on ‘X’. “Have seen Captains like Mark Taylor, Azharuddin etc persisted as captain for a year despite bad form … @ImRo45 deserved more respect and faith from the management … Bizarre coz it happened for the first time in Indian cricket history …. Blunder – for a fallen lighthouse is more dangerous than a reef!,” he added.
A Captain should never be dropped midstream nor given the option to opt out … sends wrong signals …. Have seen Captain s like Mark Taylor , Azharuddin etc persisted as captain for a year despite bad form …. @ImRo45 deserved more respect and faith from the management …… pic.twitter.com/OJcSF9r3fU
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) January 3, 2025
Rohit only accumulated 31 runs in three Tests after missing the first match in Perth owing to the birth of his second child. The Indian Express understands the national selectors Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir have intimated Rohit that they will be looking beyond him for India’s future Test assignments.
Ponting: Surprised with ‘opting out’ term
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting said that he was surprised to see the ‘opted out’ term associated with Rohit’s exclusion from the XI on Friday.
“I was very surprised when I heard the term ‘opting out’ coming into such an important game,” Ponting told in the ICC Review.
“We know he’s been a great stalwart for Indian cricket over a long period of time. So the way that they’ve actually worded it, you can only take it on face value. We’ve got to believe what we’re hearing coming out of the Indian camp, but being such a big game, knowing that they have to win this one to retain the trophy, it was an interesting time for one of their more experienced players to opt out.
“India don’t play a Test match until the middle or late June, which is a long way away when you’re sort of coming to the back end of your career. He’s been a terrific player for India so with those sort of guys, you wish them all the best and hope to see them back out there again, but I think it will be a long – and probably difficult road – back for him,” remarked Ponting.
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