Mark Taylor claims Rohit Sharma was dropped due to poor form

Former Australian captain and cricket expert Mark Taylor did not hold back his views on Rohit Sharma’s absence in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Speaking to Triple M Cricket, Taylor criticized India’s claim of “resting” Rohit, suggesting the term masked a much simpler truth: the Indian skipper was dropped due to poor form.

“Just Say He’s Dropped” – Mark Taylor’s hard-hitting take on Rohit Sharma

Taylor expressed disbelief at the decision to rest Rohit Sharma, especially in such a critical match. He called the explanation a poor attempt to soften the blow of a captain’s exclusion.

“The bottom line is that the captain of a country does not opt ​​for the final Test Match, the deciding Test Match of a series. There is no doubt that they have dropped it, and I don’t know why they are not saying that,” he said Taylor.

He further explained that being dropped is not a crime in professional cricket. “It doesn’t mean he’s been dropped forever. It just means he’s been removed from this test because he’s out of shape. That’s not a crime. That’s professional sport,” Taylor added.

Rohit Sharma has… chosen to rest? 🤔

Mark Taylor: "He's been dropped and I don't know why they don't just say he's been dropped."#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/SHfHCuJwcn

— Triple M Cricket (@triplemcricket) January 2, 2025

Rohit Sharma’s performance in the ongoing series has been far from his usual standards. In three matches, he has managed just 31 runs at a paltry average of 6.20. This streak led him to make way for Shubman Gill in the playing eleven.

Rohit’s absence also saw Jasprit Bumrah as captain. Bumrah has proved his leadership mettle before, having led India to victory in the first Test of the series in Perth.

Bumrah steps in for Rohit Sharma at the SCG

In Rohit’s absence, Jasprit Bumrah has taken over as the captain of the Indian team. Bumrah previously captained the Indian team to victory during the first Test of the series in Perth.

At the toss, Bumrah looked focused and upbeat about the challenge ahead. “We are looking to bat first. We played some good cricket. The last match was exciting. The grass doesn’t look spicy. We have always learned to digest defeats. We expect that,” Bumrah said confidently.

India made two changes for the game. Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma, while pacer Prasidh Krishna replaced Akash Deep, who has a back injury.

The SCG Test is a straightforward encounter for India. A win keeps alive their hopes of qualifying for the World Trials Championship final. A defeat or a draw, however, would shatter their dreams and mark the end of their journey in this cycle’s campaign.

The cryptic tone of Sundaresan’s comment only fueled the speculation. Fans debated whether there was more to Rohit’s absence than meets the eye.

For India, this SCG Test is nothing but critical. A win keeps their hopes alive for the World Trials Championship final. A defeat or a draw, however, would end their journey.

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