Amid growing speculation about his future in the Indian Test team skipper Rohit Sharma has been reportedly ‘rested’ for the fifth and final Test at Sydney on Friday. Shubman Gill is reportedly making a comeback in the playing 11, with KL Rahul expected to open in Sydney. While it was earlier decided that Rohit himself decided to step aside, report has emerged that Gambhir decided to drop the 37-year-old.
A PTI report says that an influential cricket administrator, who commands a lot of respect in the BCCI, has had a word with the head coach to explore if the skipper can be allowed to play the Sydney game and bow out from the Test arena. However, the head coach’s priority is to ensure India wins in Sydney and remains in hunt for a place in the WTC final.
Rift between Rohit and Gambhir
The report stated that Gambhir stood at the farthest net, talking to Bumrah, while Rohit was at the other end conversing with video analyst Hari Prasad. They stood in their respective places and there was not even minimal interaction between the two.
However, during the pre match press conference, Gambhir chose not to confirm Rohit’s place in the playing eleven for the fifth and final Test. He said, “We will look at the pitch and decide,” when being asked about Rohit’s place in the team.
Has Rohit played his last Test match at MCG?
MS Dhoni and Anil Kumble walked into Test retirements mid-series as their bodies could no longer take the rigours of the longest format. However, in Rohit’s case, he will be dropped on the basis of form after Gambhir made it clear that performance is the only thing that would keep a player in the dressing room helmed by him. If he doesn’t come out for toss on Friday, it would be safe to conclude that Rohit, the Test batter, played his last knock at the MCG
(With PTI Inupts)
