Gautam Gambhir Rejects Request to Include Rohit Sharma in Sydney Test

Gautam Gambhir Rejects Request to Include Rohit Sharma in Sydney Test

5 days ago | 5 Views

Rohit Sharma's name unexpectedly disappeared from India's official team sheet, which the BCCI released shortly after the toss for the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the SCG in Sydney. Jasprit Bumrah, who conducted the toss in Rohit's absence on Friday morning, stated that Rohit had "chosen to rest" for the series finale. The BCCI did not provide any official statement regarding Rohit's absence, either through a press release or on social media; however, the team sheet circulated in the official WhatsApp group did not include Rohit's name, even among the reserve players.

In addition to the eleven players, which featured returning players Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna, the team sheet listed all fit members of India's official squad except for Rohit Sharma. The reserve players included Devudutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Harshit Rana, which was appropriate. The only other player missing from the team sheet, aside from Rohit, was pacer Akash Deep, who was reported as injured and unfit to participate.

India's official team sheet for the fifth Test in Sydney shared by BCCI

Why Rohit opted out of the Sydney Test

Rohit, who had largely refrained from engaging in open dialogue with head coach Gautam Gambhir prior to the New Year's Test, was observed having an animated conversation with the former India opener just before the commencement of the Pink Test. During this exchange, which also included Jasprit Bumrah on the pitch side, Rohit predominantly took the lead in the discussion.

Following a disappointing performance where he managed only 31 runs in five innings across three Tests, Rohit made the decision to step back. The 37-year-old, renowned for his prowess in white-ball cricket, appeared to be a mere shadow of his former self during these innings, struggling to execute even his fundamental shots, including his signature front pull.

Observations from India's practice session on the eve of the match indicated that Rohit was likely to be sidelined.

Speculation regarding his future in the longest format intensified after India suffered a defeat in the fourth Test in Melbourne, resulting in a tied five-match series at 1-2.

The year 2024 proved to be Rohit's least fruitful in Test cricket, as he accumulated only 619 runs in 26 innings over 14 matches, averaging 24.76.

Having participated in his 67th Test match in Melbourne, Rohit is anticipated to conclude his tumultuous Test career in the near future.

In the meantime, India faced another dismal start after choosing to bat. KL Rahul (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) were dismissed early against the new ball, while Virat Kohli narrowly avoided a golden duck following a close catch appeal. Just as it seemed India might share the honors of the first session with Australia under challenging batting conditions, Shubman Gill (20) made a critical error in judgment, charging down the pitch to Nathan Lyon and edging the ball to first slip on the final delivery before lunch.

Read Also: KL Rahul Returns as Opener: Will Rishabh Pant Keep His Spot in India's Lineup?

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