"Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, guys you are on the spot this time" - Aakash Chopra on whether Rohit Sharma should play BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Former India player Aakash Chopra has questioned whether Rohit Sharma would take the call of dropping himself from India's playing XI for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 fifth Test. He also noted that head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar will be in a tough spot if the Indian skipper doesn't take that call himself.

India suffered a 184-run defeat in the fourth Test against Australia in Melbourne on Monday, December 30. The final Test of the five-match series will start in Sydney on Friday, January 3, 2025.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the cricketer-turned-commentator opined that Rohit should drop himself for the Sydney Test. He also wondered whether Gambhir and Agarkar would be bold enough to take that call otherwise.

"No captain would have done that thus far that he drops himself. Retirement is his personal call but selection is the selectors' job. However, as a captain, the selectors don't want to take that call. You have made him the captain for the entire tour. So you don't take that call mid-tour. So the call is now with Rohit Sharma," he said.

"Will he drop himself in the team's interest? I am not saying retirement. I am saying sitting out the Sydney Test as he is unable to contribute. It will be a fair call to take. But will he take that call and if he doesn't, will the selectors take that call mid-tour? Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar, guys you are on the spot this time," Chopra added.

Rohit Sharma has aggregated 31 runs at a dismal average of 6.20 in five innings in BGT 2024-25. He has a top score of 10 and has been dismissed for single digits in his other four innings.

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"For the first time as a captain, he took a call totally in his interest" - Aakash Chopra on Rohit Sharma opening in BGT 2024-25 4th Test

Rohit Sharma replaced KL Rahul at the top of the order for the Boxing Day Test. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Rohit Sharma kept his interest ahead of the team by opting to open in the Melbourne Test.

"For the first time as a captain, he took a call totally in his interest. It wasn't a call in the team's interest. It couldn't have been in the team's interest as (KL) Rahul was doing well as an opener. So you should have allowed him to continue. Shubman Gill was playing decently at No. 3. He is your second-highest run-scorer in Tests this year," he said.

The former India opener highlighted a pattern in Rohit's dismissals and added that age (37) was not on his side.

"We are talking about a pattern for Virat Kohli but Rohit too has a pattern. Rohit's pattern is that he is getting late on the ball and his feet are not moving properly. It's different if this happens to you at 25. However, when you go to the other side of 35 and this happens to you, then the knives are out," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra opined that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal should open, with Shubman Gill coming in at No. 3 if Rohit Sharma opts out of the Sydney Test. He added that Nitish Kumar Reddy can bat at No. 6 in such a scenario.