"It can only happen when you are secure" - Former India all-rounder lauds Rohit Sharma's decision to opt out of BGT 2024-25 5th Test

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has commended 'selfless' Rohit Sharma for opting out of the fifth and final Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test against Australia in Sydney. After rejoining the team ahead of the second Test, the Indian skipper failed to live up to expectations.

The 37-year-old appeared completely out of form, managing only 31 runs across five innings in three Tests. His captaincy was also under scrutiny, as India lost two matches and earned a draw in a rain-affected game.

Ahead of the ongoing fifth Test, there were reports suggesting that Rohit might miss out on playing XI. This was confirmed when Jasprit Bumrah walked out at the toss.

Speaking on Star Sports, Irfan Pathan praised Rohit for making the selfless decision to step aside and allow Shubman Gill to play. Pathan said:

“Rohit Sharma realized that his batting wasn’t working, and a player can tell when he's not in the right frame of mind to fight. In such situations, it's better to step aside, and that's exactly what he decided to do. He also considered the team and thought that Shubman Gill, who had been in better form, should be given the opportunity to play, while he, as captain, would sit out. Not every player would make such a decision, and it's not something you often see.”

“This was a completely selfless choice. What Rohit Sharma did today is something no other captain might do. It can only happen when you are secure, and Rohit Sharma is a very secure player," Irfan Pathan added.

The Mumbai cricketer has played 67 Tests for India, scoring 4,301 runs at an average of 40.57, including 18 fifties and 12 centuries.

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Indian top order fails on Day 1 of the fifth Test of the 2024-25 BGT

The visitors won the toss and chose to bat in the fifth Test of the 2024-25 BGT, with Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna replacing Rohit Sharma and Akash Deep. However, the Indian top order—Yashasvi Jaiswal (10), KL Rahul (4), Shubman Gill (20), and Virat Kohli (17)—failed to make an impact, leaving India at 72-4.

Since then, Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja have steadied the innings for India. At the time of writing, the visitors were 115-4 after 52 overs, with Pant (38) and Jadeja (12) at the crease.