Indian skipper Rohit Sharma: I am not retiring

Dubai: Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, whose future has been the topic of debate after a long slump, has come out to set the record straight that he is not retiring and has just stepped down from the fifth and final Test against Australia in Sydney.

“I have not retired. Since I am not in good form, I felt that it is better for someone else in form to play in the team with the series finely balanced,” the 37-year-old skipper told the official broadcasters during the lunch time on the second day after India bowlers ripped through the Australian top order to reduce the hosts to 101 for five and take a firm control of the Test.

Debutant Beau Webster not-out 28 and Alex Carey on four during the break, still 84 runs behind after India were dismissed for 185.

“I am not going anywhere. This is not a retirement or moving away from the format. A guy with a mic, pen or laptop, what they write or say, it doesn’t matter. They cannot decide for us. I took the call to stand down after coming to Sydney. Yes, runs are not coming, but there is no guarantee that you won’t be able to score two months down the line or six months down the line. I am mature enough to know what I am doing,” Rohit Sharma told Star Sports.

In a surprising move the opening batter rested himself for the Test after scoring 164 runs in his last 15 innings.

Australia lost Sam Konstas (23), Marnus Labuschagne (two), Travis Head (four) and Smith (33) in the first session during fiery spells from Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah.

Smith looked poised to become only the 15th batsman ever and fourth Australian to reach 10,000 Test runs in front of his home crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

But he will have to wait for another day after Prasidh Krishna enticed an edge just before the break and KL Rahul took the catch in the slips.

Australia resumed at 9-1 after a dramatic final-ball wicket on Friday when Bumrah — captaining the side after Rohit Sharma dropped himself — had Usman Khawaja caught in the slips.

That Australian body blow came two balls after Bumrah and Konstas had a tense exchange, with the pace spearhead staring down the teenager after the dismissal.

The 19-year-old Konstas padded up again on seven with new partner Labuschagne and got off the mark with two off the first ball from Siraj.

But Labuschagne didn’t last with a menacing Bumrah again the destroyer, enticing the faintest outside edge to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.

A fearless Konstas slammed his nemesis Bumrah to the boundary to signal an attacking intent, then produced an audacious reverse ramp shot for another four.

But the teenager overplayed his hand and fell for 23 to a Siraj outswinger, attempting a drive that flew to Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully.

Head hit a four but Siraj pounced again in the same over with another gem of a delivery that took an edge to Rahul at slip, leaving Australia tottering at 39-4.

The steady Smith and Webster, in the team for the dropped Mitchell Marsh, set about rebuilding the innings before Prasidh dealt the hosts another setback when he removed the veteran five minutes before lunch.

Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw. India retain it with a win.

— With inputs from AFP