The walls appear to be closing in on Team India captain Rohit Sharma ahead of the fifth and final Test against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) which begins on Friday. Rohit has been struggling for runs in the three Tests he has played so far after skipping the first Test in Perth due to the birth of his second child.
The Indian captain has only managed 31 runs in the 5 innings so far in the on-going with India 1-2 down in the series and in a must-win situation at the SCG if they home to retain the BGT. To complicate the matter, a news report leaked the conversation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and the rest of the team after India’s 184-run loss in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG earlier this week.
Gambhir blasted the Indian players and reportedly said, ‘bas bahut ho gaya’ after Team India lost 7 wickets for 34 runs in the final session on Day 5 of the 4th Test. The rift between coach Gambhir and skipper Rohit Sharma is out in the open now.
There is speculation that SCG game could be Rohit Sharma’s final Test match as selectors and the BCCI may ask the Indian opener to retire from the longest format of the game after averaging just 11 in 2024. Gambhir came out to face the media on the eve of the SCG Test on Thursday and was asked point-blank if Rohit Sharma will be playing the game.
Gambhir sensationally didn’t confirm if Rohit will be in the playing 11 for the Test match. “We will take Playing XI call after looking at pitch tomorrow,” Gambhir replied to the question asking about the Indian skipper’s availability for the final Test of the series.
Wow. Gautam Gambhir doesn’t confirm if Rohit Sharma is playing tomorrow when asked directly if the captain’s playing. While Rohit is at warm ups shadow-practicing his drive while kicking the football around with his teammates #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/qhogr69p0b
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 2, 2025
The former India opener didn’t hold back when asked about the news report leaking dressing room conversations. “Debates between a player and a coach should stay between them – any conversations in the dressing room should stay in the dressing room,” Gambhir said.
“Indian cricket will be in safe hands till honest people stay in the dressing room. Only thing that keeps you in the dressing room is performance,” he added.
“There were honest words and honesty is important,” he asserted.
Gambhir also said he did not have any discussion with senior batter Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma except for strategies on how to win the Test matches. “Every individual knows what are areas to work on. We have only had one conversation with them (and that is) how to win Test matches,” he said.
This will not be the first time that an Indian captain has walked away from international cricket in the middle of a Test series. Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket back in 2014 to hand over the reigns to Virat Kohli.
If India do decide to drop Rohit Sharma for the SCG Test, then pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah seems to be the likely replacement. Bumrah led Team India to a win in the first Test vs Australia at Perth.
