It’s bizarre, sends wrong signal: Sidhu on Rohit missing final Test           

Rohit Sharma’s decision to “opt” out of the ongoing fifth Test against Australia was “bizarre” as it sends wrong signals and the regular skipper deserved “more respect” from the team management, reckoned former India opener Navjot Singh Sidhu.

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Grappling with poor form, Rohit “opted to rest” from the Sydney Test, handing over the leadership duties to Jasprit Bumrah. The move also paved the way for Shubman Gill’s inclusion in the crucial match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

“A Captain should never be dropped midstream nor given the option to opt out … sends wrong signals,” Sidhu wrote in a post shared on ‘X’.

Rohit, who missed the opening Test at Perth to be present for the birth of his second baby, has scored only 31 runs across five innings in three Tests.

“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.

After missing the Perth Test, Rohit returned for the pink-ball Test at Adelaide but didn’t look his old self, struggling to execute even his bread and butter shots including the trademark front foot pull.

The 37-year-old Rohit endured a tough time in Test cricket in 2024, accumulating just 619 runs in 26 innings across 14 matches averaging 24.76.