Former Indian batter turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes that captain Rohit Sharma’s interview on Day 2 of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney might see head coach Gautam Gambhir getting all the credit for his exclusion as well. However, Rohit opted out of the series finale in a shocking move, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the team. Notably, Australia registered a series win by 3-1.

Speaking on Star Sports about Rohit’s candid interview, Manjrekar said postgame [via India Today]: “There was also another reason why he was doing that interview. To clear the air. Somewhere I think Gambhir was getting all the credit for a brave call by leaving Rohit Sharma out. He wanted to set the record straight. Let’s be honest. I loved that interview. That first bit where he said, I couldn’t have another out-of-form batter in the XI, and that’s why he opted out. But there were some other emotions too.”

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Despite applauding Rohit Sharma for his honesty in his interview, Sanjay Manjrekar shared that the selectors must decide whether a player
should also be in the squad. However, Rohit has been in poor Test form, averaging under 11 in his last 15 innings with a lone half-century as well.

“One thing that a lot of players say is that ‘I will decide my future’. I have a problem with that. You can decide your future with regards to retirement, but somebody else has got the job to decide your future as a player and captain. Retirement is in your hands, but playing for India is not,” concluded Sanjay Manjrekar. “That’s the chairman of selectors. You have got to respect the hierarchy, however big you are. If the chairman of selectors is strong and he believes in the long-term health of Indian cricket, he has the power to decide whether your career should end now, or you get a few more matches, or one more series.”