'If I was selector, I'd say 'Rohit Sharma thank you for your service...': Mark Waugh's SCG ultimatum with Bumrah remark

Australia cricket great Mark Waugh sent out an ultimatum to India captain Rohit Sharma saying that he has only one innings to save his career. His comment came amid the 37-year-old's horror run with the bat in Test cricket and backlash over poor captaincy in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Test series in Australia. India's Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah(PTI)

Since September, Rohit scored 155 runs in 14 innings sat just 11.07, comprising a solitary half-century score. 21 of those runs came in his four innings on the current tour of Australia. The India captain initially batted at No. 6 for India in a bid to retain in-form KL Rahul as an opener. But after scores of 3, 6 and 10 across the Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane, he returned as an opener in Melbourne, but his fortune failed to change as he failed miserably, again.

In addition to his poor batting form, Rohit also came under fire over his captaincy across the last three Tests.

'I'd be saying 'Rohit thank you for your service...''

Waugh, speaking to Fox Cricket, warned Sharma that had he been the Indian selector, he would have told him that the second innings in Melbourne would be his final chance to prolong his career in the traditional format. And, should he fail, Waugh said that he would drop Rohit from the playing XI for the final Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground next month, and pick Jasprit Bumrah as the captain.

"If I was a selector now, it depends what happens in the second innings, but if he doesn't make runs in the second innings and we go to Sydney in a crucial Test match, I'd be saying 'Rohit thank you for your service, you've been a great player, but we're going to bring in Jasprit Bumrah as captain for the SCG and that's the end of your career'," he said.

"... it'd be a very tough way for Rohit Sharma to go ... his last 14 innings' he's averages 11, so the signs are there that he's past his best. It happens to all players. All great players come to an end at some stage."

Compatriot and former Australia batter Mike Hussey responded by asking if Rohit needs to be asked where he is mentally and physically amid this torrid run, Waugh reckoned the answer lied in his batting numbers.

"I don't think you have to say 'where are you at?' You can see where he's at," he said.

"The numbers don't lie. They've had a few tough wickets to bat on previous to this tour in India but you just see even his movement in the field (is not good). Even tactically he's been off the pace as well and he gets a used by date, everyone does.

"I think they've given him that leniency already because he's been a great player for India.

"At some stage that leniency has got to stop and it stops after this Test match unless he makes runs in the second innings."

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