“This wasn’t meant to disrespect Rohit Sharma” - Former Australia pacer’s huge statement on India’s captaincy in BGT 2024-25

Former Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson has pointed out a glaring mistake by India in their series loss Down Under to sacrifice the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Johnson stated that he means no disrespect to Rohit Sharma, who should've ceased to return to the side after the first Test.

Rohit missed the first Test of the series due to paternity leave, causing Jasprit Bumrah to captain the tourists in Perth and win by 295 runs. However, the visitors lost the next two out of three Tests under the 37-year-old, prompting calls for resignation from his end.

Writing in his column for The Nightly, the 43-year-old observes that the visitors' mindset appeared to be positive under Bumrah but a change in momentum was visible with Rohit as skipper.

"Jasprit Bumrah stepped up not just as a fast bowler but also took the reins as captain, making the bold choice to bat first on what many considered a favourable bowling pitch. This decision was a clear indication of India’s positive mindset and may have caught Australia off guard."

"And I mentioned to a few cricket buddies that it might have benefited India to maintain Bumrah as captain. This wasn’t meant to disrespect Rohit Sharma, who has a solid record, but I noticed a shift in momentum when Sharma returned with his different leadership style."

Rohit's returns with the bat in the series was also woeful as he averaged 6.20 in three Tests with 31 series. The right-handed batter dropped himself from the fifth Test but the tourists still lost.

"He seemed to run out of stamina just when India needed" - Mitchell Johnson on Jasprit Bumrah

Mitchell Johnson. (Image Credits: Getty)

Johnson also pointed out that the difference between India and Australia was that the hosts were not over-reliant on one bowler, making them the deserved winner of the series. He added:

"While Bumrah was a deserved man of the series for his remarkable 32 wickets at 13.06, Australia boasted a bowling attack that didn’t rely heavily on any one individual. Bumrah took on a substantial bowling load for India and it eventually caught up with him. He seemed to run out of stamina just when India needed that last push in the final innings in Sydney. The Bumrah injury likely cost them as Australia chased 162 to win but we can never know for sure."

It also proved to be the first time in 10 years that Australia held the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. They also sealed their spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final next year in June, set to take place against South Africa at Lord's. Pat Cummins and Co. are also the defending champions, having won their first title in June 2023 at The Oval in London.