Subhayan Chakraborty in Sydney
Not only was Sydney gloomy on the eve of the Pink Test at the SCG, but the atmosphere around the Indian team also appeared similarly subdued. With reports of dressing-room unrest dominating the chatter around the fifth and final Test, Team India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, declined to confirm whether captain Rohit Sharma would definitely be in the playing XI for the series decider, with Australia leading 2-1.
“We will look at the pitch and decide on the playing XI tomorrow,” Gambhir stated when asked about Rohit in the pre-match press conference. From then on, all eyes were on the Indian captain, and it was evident that something was different. Rohit has always been involved in discussions during India’s practice sessions, whether with Gambhir, chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar, or any player in the squad. But on Thursday, he seemed a bit aloof.
Soon after the Gambhir press conference, it was Jasprit Bumrah, who had led the team in Perth when Rohit missed the opener due to the birth of his second child, who was seen actively engaged in long conversations with the Indian think-tank. Even before the press conference began, it was Bumrah who took a close look at the SCG pitch, accompanied by Gambhir. However, Rohit soon joined them, and the trio had a long chat while examining the playing surface. After concluding the pitch discussion, Agarkar and Bumrah were involved in lengthy discussions right outside the Indian dressing room, with Rohit nowhere to be seen.
As the Indian players, after a round of foot-volley, headed towards the nets, Rohit was seen chatting with Washington Sundar outside the dressing room before engaging in a separate discussion with Soham Desai, the strength-and-conditioning coach. Meanwhile, some players participated in fielding drills, and a new-look slip cordon was in action. Rohit was not at first slip. Instead, Virat Kohli took that position. KL Rahul was at the second slip, joined by Nitish Kumar Reddy and the regular at gully, Yashasvi Jaiswal.
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However, the surprising part came next as the players moved towards the nets to practice one last time before the final Test. Rahul, Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel started batting, but Rohit was once again nowhere to be seen. He entered the nets area after 40-45 minutes, only to stand with video analyst Hari in one corner while, at the same time, Bumrah and Gambhir held discussions in another.
After a while, Rohit returned to the dressing room, only to come back out to the nets, fully padded up. However, he only faced throwdowns from T Dilip and Dayanand Garani for about 15 minutes before leaving. He didn’t seem in good touch, and his intensity appeared somewhat lacking. After the net session ended, Rohit, Gambhir, and Bumrah were seen having another chat in the gallery outside the dressing room before the team departed for their hotel.
This was the first instance during this tour where Rohit was observed to be distant from tactical discussions, at least on the field, with Bumrah taking charge of that role. While the sequence of events does not guarantee that Rohit will be excluded from the playing XI, it certainly suggests that we might be seeing his final days in the Test squad.
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