India suffered a defeat against Australia in the fifth and final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy held in Sydney, concluding the series with a score of 1-3 in favor of Australia. The Indian team's journey throughout the series was marred by controversy, highlighted by an incident where Virat Kohli had a heated exchange with Australian journalists at an airport, followed by a shoulder bump altercation with Sam Konstas. Additionally, senior spinner R. Ashwin announced his immediate retirement after being omitted from the squad for the third Test.

The performance of the captain came under scrutiny as well. Rohit Sharma was absent for the first Test in Perth due to paternity leave, during which India secured a victory. However, upon his return for the second Test, the team's fortunes declined. The opener managed to accumulate only 31 runs across five innings, averaging 6.20, before deciding to withdraw from the final Test in Sydney. His form has been concerning since September, with a total of just 164 runs in eight innings.

Following his exclusion from the playing XI for the fifth Test, various theories have emerged among fans and former players, with many speculating that he might consider retiring from Test cricket or risk losing his place in the team permanently. Virat Kohli has also faced criticism for his inconsistent performance, having only scored a century in Perth, while struggling particularly against Scott Boland.

Sanjay Manjrekar's message to Ajit Agarkar

Taking to X, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar joined the bandwagon, and made a statement on Rohit and Kohli’s future. He wrote, “When to retire, is upto the player but how long to play, is upto the selectors.”

Manjrekar's recent tweet follows his earlier statement suggesting that if the selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, continues to support Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the duo should consider participating in county cricket prior to the Test series in England.

Rohit has publicly stated that he has no intention of retiring from Test cricket. During an interview with Star Sports on the second day of the fifth Test, he addressed his critics regarding his performance, asserting, “I am confident things will change. At the same time, I have to be realistic as well. At the same time, some person is sitting with a mic, laptop or a pen and writing stuff; our lives do not change because of what that person is writing or saying.”

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