Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar candidly claimed that Rohit Shamra tried to clear the air by giving a sudden interview to the broadcasters on Day 2, January 4, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, so that the Head Coach Gautam Gambhir can't take credit for the brave call. Prior to the fifth Test at the Sydney Cricket Test, there were reports suggesting that Rohit Sharma would not play the fifth Test. Phrases like "opted out," "rested," and "dropped" were going around. Rohit Sharma in that surprise interview to the broadcasters, clarified that he "stood out" considering the form he was in. Regarding that, Mangrekar praised Rohit for acknowledging his off-form. But he felt that Rohit did not want Gambhir to steal the limelight. After India lost at Sydney on January 5, speaking to Star Sports, Manjrekar said, "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." Read also: Irfan Pathan Questions Virat Kohli's Test Spot Amid Form Concerns Manjrekar Questions Rohit’s Future In that interview, Rohit Sharma clarified that he is not retiring soon considering the fluctuation of his form. Regarding that, Sanjay Manjrekar emphasized that while the decision to retire is a personal choice, the responsibility of selecting players for the playing XI or squad lies solely with the selectors. Manjrekar added, "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. That’s the chairman of selectors. 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. Retirement is in your hands, but playing for India is not." Rohit Sharma concluded the Australia tour with a total of 31 runs across three Test matches. During the 2024–2025 Test season, he accumulated only 164 runs in eight Tests, averaging 10.94. As captain, Rohit led India in eight matches, securing victories in two and facing defeat in five. This performance marked the first time India missed out on qualifying for the World Test Championship final.