Speculations had arisen that Rohit Sharma might retire after playing the Sydney Test. However, Gautam Gambhir's comments on Thursday have raised questions about Rohit Sharma's inclusion in the Sydney Test. Gambhir hinted that Rohit's place in the playing eleven is not guaranteed. The final eleven will be decided based on the pitch and conditions.
Doubts over the captain's inclusion in the playing eleven are rare in Indian cricket history. Rohit did not play in the Perth Test as he was in India for the birth of his second child. Jasprit Bumrah led the team in his absence. In the following three Tests, Rohit’s performance with the bat was far from impressive. This fueled speculations about his potential retirement from Test cricket. Gambhir’s comments on Thursday have now raised questions—was the Melbourne Test Rohit’s last?
On Thursday, before the press conference began, two chairs were placed on the stage. The last time such an arrangement was made, Ravichandran Ashwin had announced his retirement while sitting beside Rohit. Reports suggested that Gambhir would attend the press conference, but the name of the second person was not disclosed. Gambhir came alone.
A journalist asked Gambhir why Rohit did not come tp to the press conference. In reply, Gambhir said, “Rohit is fine. It is not a rule for the captain to attend press conferences. The coach is here, and I hope that’s sufficient. We will finalize the playing eleven after assessing the pitch.”
When asked about India’s plans regarding Rohit, Gambhir said, “As I just mentioned, we will first assess the pitch and then decide on the playing eleven tomorrow.” However, Gambhir did not provide a definitive answer regarding Rohit’s inclusion.
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