Just ahead of the fifth and final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024 between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan expressed his opinion on the retirement rumors surrounding Indian captain Rohit Sharma.
Message of Irfan Pathan for Rohit SharmaIrfan Pathan, Rohit Sharma, retirement rumors, Border-Gavaskar Trophy, India vs Australia, 2024 Test series, cricket leadership
Irfan Pathan used social media application X to ask the 37-year-old Rohit Sharma not to retire immediately and advised the latter to pass through the trying times rather than announcing retirement. He added that “In my personal opinion, Rohit Sharma should fight out this phase. He has done enough for Indian cricket, and I am sure he has the ability to turn this around.”
Pathan stressed the need for experience in the last Test match and told Sharma to keep playing till the end of the series.
There are rumors and speculations regarding Rohit Sharma’s retirement, and it is said that Rohit Sharma can be rested in the last Test. Jasprit Bumrah will lead the team instead. The decision depends on the assessment of the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Gautam Gambhir’s Reaction
Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir said in a pre-match press conference that everything is okay with Rohit Sharma as he did not attend the press conference. “We will announce the playing XI tomorrow after evaluating the pitch,” Gambhir said while stating that the team’s main aim is to win the Test. He once again stated that the captain is all right, and the team is looking forward to the task.
Impact on World Test Championship hopes for India
Winning the fifth Test would be crucial for India to gain a chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship Final. India is currently 2-1 down in the series, so they need to win the last Test to maintain their chances to make it to the Lord’s contest in June. Moreover, the qualification would depend on Australia not gaining points when they play the remaining Test series in Sri Lanka.
The fifth Test match begins on January 5, 2025, and promises to be a tense and crucial encounter as both teams battle for the series win and a place in the WTC Final.