NEW DELHI: India captain Rohit Sharma said on Saturday he stood down from the decisive ongoing fifth Australia Test because he was not in form but insisted he was not retiring.

The acclaimed opener has had a poor series, with critics suggesting his omission from the Test — with the visitors down 2-1 going into the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground — was the end of his red-ball career.

But the 37-year-old has hit back, telling Indian broadcaster Star Sports at the SCG: “I’m not going anywhere.

“This decision is not a retirement decision nor am I going to step aside from the game,” he added.

Rohit missed the first Test in Perth for the birth of his second child and has not looked fully engaged since, failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings.

Rohit said that he had told the coach and selectors that he was “not in form” and that for the critical final Test, the team needed “a player in form”.

His recent lacklustre performances come on the back of a similarly poor return during India’s 3-0 home series loss to New Zealand during October-November.

Rohit quit T20 International cricket last year after lifting the World Cup.

Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah insisted at the coin toss on Friday that Rohit had “opted to rest” for the good of the team rather than being forced out.

Rohit on Saturday called Bumrah “absolute class”.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2025