Glenn McGrath launches personal attack on Rohit Sharma over major decision in Brisbane Test

Former Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath took a dig at Indian skipper Rohit Sharma's decision after winning the toss during the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Glenn McGrath said that he wasn't surprised that Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl in the Gabba Test match.

Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl first on Day 1 of the third Test at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, December 14. Sharma asked the home team to bat first in overcast conditions. However, the Indian pace bowlers struggled to find swing in the first few overs during the opening session.

He Doesn’t Want To Get Out There And Bat - Glenn McGrath

Only 13.2 overs of play were possible on the first day due to heavy rainfall. Australia scored 28 runs, with Usman Khawaja (19 off 47 balls) and Nathan McSweeney (4 off 33) at the crease. Rohit Sharma's decision to bowl first faced criticism from cricket experts, who questioned the choice.

Ahead of the toss when Glenn McGrath was asked what the Pat Cummins-led side should do if they won the toss. He responded:

“The thing is if you bowl first and it goes pear shaped that looks really bad in the media whereas if you bat first and it goes poorly it is ‘gutsy decision to bat first’”

After the toss, Glenn McGrath stated that he wasn’t surprised by Rohit's decision, suggesting the Indian captain might have been reluctant to bat first amid his extremely poor personal form in Test cricket.

“I’m not surprised that Rohit Sharma won the toss and bowled. He doesn’t want to get out there and bat,” Glenn McGrath told ABC Sport.

Glenn McGrath: “I’m not surprised that Rohit Sharma won the toss and bowled. He doesn’t want to get out there and bat.”@abcsport

— Ben Cameron (@BenCameron23) December 13, 2024

Little Bit Overcast And Little Bit Of Grass - Rohit Sharma

Speaking at the toss, Rohit revealed that India wanted to bowl first due to the overcast conditions and the presence of grass on the pitch. Rohit said that they failed to capitalize on key moments in the last match, which led to their loss.

"We're going to bowl first. Little bit overcast and little bit of grass, looks a bit soft as well, want to make best use of the conditions. Lot of cricket to be played, both teams have played good cricket in the last two games. Big game for us here, we'll do what is expected of us," Rohit said.

"We'll play good cricket, we understand we have to capture some moments, we didn't do that in the previous game which is why we lost," he added.

Play Called Off Due To Worsening Weather

Rain first interrupted the play on Day 1 of the third Test at The Gabba, with only 5.3 overs bowled. The match resumed, but the weather worsened, and play was eventually called off for the day.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled six overs, including three maidens, giving away just eight runs. Akash Deep, who replaced Harshit Rana, bowled 3.2 overs and conceded only two runs before the rain returned.

Also read: Usman Khawaja told to retire from international cricket in the middle of BGT 2024-25