Ravi Shastri's Unspoken Bond with Rohit Sharma: A Test Match That Never Was

In the latest edition of the ICC Review, former India coach Ravi Shastri expressed his retrospective dissent over Rohit Sharma's absence in a crucial Test match during the 2024-25 series against Australia. According to Shastri, had he been the coach, Sharma would not have been allowed to bench himself despite his loss of form.

Rohit Sharma had chosen not to play the final game, a decision driven by personal reasons and his performance, which yielded a mere 31 runs in five innings. Shastri reminisced about a conversation with Sharma during the IPL, asserting his belief that the batsman's participation in the Sydney Test could have balanced the series, which India lost 1-3.

Shastri voiced his thoughts on the significance of keeping experienced players like Sharma in the squad, viewing their potential contributions as pivotal, especially on challenging pitches. Meanwhile, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have announced their departure from Test format ahead of the upcoming World Test Championship matches against England.

(With inputs from agencies.)