Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has said that there is no chance Rohit Sharma will be out of the Indian team because of his form since he is the captain and a sure starter, but it is tough to flourish for a short-format star especially when the red cherry is moving. Rohit's form has been a problem for India over the last two Tests in Australia.

Clarke, during a conversation on ESPN Australia, hinted that Rohit has looked tentative and did not play with his aggressive intent, which has rewarded him throughout his career.

Clarke gave the example of another Australian skipper Aaron Finch, who had a similar experience in Tests even after being very successful in white-ball cricket.

“You never pick just based on form. He’s captain of the team, so I’m picking him. Rohit hasn’t started here, he took some time to get back into it. He wants some runs and he’s an exceptional player," Clarke said.

"He plays in middle-order because he thinks it’s best for the team. I won’t make any changes. KL Rahul is doing a great job at the top, I understand that. I don’t think it matters what format he plays; when he’s confident and backing himself, playing with aggressive intent, that’s where he is at his best," Clarke added.

India play the fourth Test against Australia from December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where Rohit scored an unbeaten 63 in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test in 2018, while batting at No. 6.

"Finch is a good example. He will tell you, batting in Tests where the ball is moving when you are a player who has dominated short-format cricket, it’s hard when your confidence drops," Clarke said.

“I remember having conversations with Finchy, I’d rather have him go out and back himself from ball one. Sometimes, it doesn’t look great, but that’s the way these boys play. They are X-factor players, match-winners," Clarke added.

The Melbourne Test is a crucial game, given the current World Test Championship standings. A win in that Test will take India to 58.82 percentage points, while Australia will drop to 56.25. Importantly, Pakistan will play South Africa, the table toppers, on Boxing Day as well. If the Proteans lose, they will drop to 54.54 and India will become table-toppers again.

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