Rohit Sharma to be Omitted from the 5th Test: India head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to confirm Rohit Sharma’s place in the team, which hints at the snubbing of the 2024 T20 World Cup captain from the 5th Test of Australia vs India BGT 2024-25.
India had lost the second and fourth Test to go down 1-2 ahead of the final Test, which will occur at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to January 7.
Rohit Sharma to be Omitted from the 5th Test
Apart from the usual way, it was Gautam Gambhir who came to attend the press instead of Captain Rohit, which itself had fired up the already boiling speculation around the skipper’s future. Here we provide the complete Gautam Gambhir press conference
Gambhir started by admitting that there have been honest conversations that have taken place within the team after India’s horrible 184-run loss at MCG.
“I don’t think I need to answer to any reports. There are some honest words. That’s all I can say. Honesty is extremely important if you want to go on and achieve some great things,” said Gambhir
Despite the horrendous display in the home series against New Zealand, in which Team India had gotten whitewashed 3-0, and the current trailing scenario at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, coach Gambhir is “extremely confident” going into the Sydney Cricket Ground. He gives a reason for that too.
“If someone had said 40-45 days ago that we would be in this situation, that we can come to Sydney and draw this series, it’s a good position to be in. And I don’t think so that anything is out of control,” said the Indian coach.
Gambhir’s words were filled with optimism, which often felt forced. He refused to blame any particular department, whether bowling or batting and stated that if there had been a lackluster performance from either, the results could have been even worse. He also expressed confidence in the skills that the team possesses and predicted winning not only the next one but many that are waiting ahead.
“When you come to a Test like this, it’s not that batting didn’t do well or bowling didn’t do well. If batting and bowling hadn’t done well, we wouldn’t have won a Test match or we wouldn’t have been 2-1 down. We could have been in a worse situation. So, as I said, I don’t think so that anything is worrisome.
“We know we’ve got the skill set. We’ve got the individuals. We’ve got everything in that dressing room that can win a Test match here. Not only here, probably go on to do some unbelievable things in the future as well.”
Having said that, Gambhir, who is known for his fiery responses and honest representations, remained tight-lipped when asked about the inclusion of Rohit Sharma in the coming Test. He uttered that the conversation in the dressing room will stay at the place where it occurred.
“First of all, all the individuals, all the individuals know which area they have to work in,” Gambhir said. “And it’s not like I’m talking about individuals here. Because ultimately, you win as a team and lose as a team. And when you’re playing for your country, everyone tries to contribute their maximum. So, that’s important.
“And it’s not like the debate between a player and a coach should be known to everybody. It should just be between them. You [the outsiders] just see the results. And, fortunately or unfortunately, this sport is known only for the results. But the conversations between the individuals and the dressing room, they should stay there.”
The Indian batting lineup was far from their usual form, with the big guns like Captain Sharma and Virat Kohli failing terribly on the Aussies’ pitches. Despite individual flairs, as a unit, one has to admit that the batting department has been a failure.
Rohit’s failure pops out more as the MI Indians player was abysmal both as a captain and a player. India’s only win in the series was in the first Test in Perth, in which Rohit Sharma didn’t take part due to the birth of his baby. Jasprit Bumrah was commendable in leading the side and giving a lead to the visitors, which almost went in vain after Rohit’s comeback since then. Sharma looked out of touch when he batted and could only score a handful of runs and has been looking listless throughout the series. His last five scores are 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9.
What India lacks is a player who can play the traditional Test way, a Rahul Dravid or Cheteshwar Pujara, who can stand in the crease and defend, just like a wall, and give the team a draw when a loss is looming on your head. The inclusion of players like Rishabh Pant, who is just decent in his shot selection, not to mention his dismissal in the last game, by denying opportunities for a very skilled pool of players is also a problem India has to look into. When asked about the natural game of a player and what the team needs in a particular situation, Gambhir’s answer was by far predictable.
“It’s the team-first ideology that matters,” Gambhir said. “It’s a team sport and you’ve got to play what the team needs you to do. That’s as simple as it can get. People can play the natural game. But still, in a team sport, individuals only contribute. It’s the team [that is important]. If you need to play in a certain way, I think you’ve got to do it.
“I don’t want to talk about individuals. I think everyone knows where they are. And as I just mentioned, in a team sport, it’s only the team. You have to expect players to do what the team needs you to do. Whether they go to bad sessions, whether they go to be attacking because that is all that matters in a team sport for me.”
Despite the recent downs, Gambhir became so positive about the future of the team.
“I think Indian cricket will always be in safe hands till the time you’ve got honest people sitting in that room,” he said. “And honesty is the most important thing for any transition. And it is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in.
“Ultimately, the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is the performance. And it starts from all of us. Not only from the players, from the coaches as well.”
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