India’s skipper, Rohit Sharma, has been ‘Rested’ from the playing XI for the New Year’s Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. This decision has come at a time when Rohit is in a tough patch in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he has not been able to cross the 10-run mark in any of his five innings. This is a significant moment as Rohit Sharma becomes the first Indian captain to drop himself from the playing XI.
Rohit Sharma Becomes The 1st Captain To Drop Himself
Rohit Sharma, the captain of India, has been facing a tough time in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. The seasoned opener has failed to exceed 10 runs in any of his five innings so far, resulting in him becoming the first Indian captain to voluntarily drop himself from the playing XI.
Pressure mounting on Rohit Sharma’s captaincy
Rohit’s batting has been disappointing throughout the series, managing only 31 runs in three matches. That has only mounted pressure on his leadership as India has not fared well under his captaincy. The team has won just one of their last six Tests, and the pressure on Rohit intensified after India’s 12-year unbeaten streak at home ended with a 3-0 loss to New Zealand last year. These factors might have contributed to the decision to leave him out of the SCG Test.
Jasprit Bumrah Returns as Stand-In-Captain
In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the leadership responsibility has been assigned to Jasprit Bumrah again, who guided India to a comprehensive 295-run victory in the first Test at Perth Stadium. Under his leadership, India has shown the confidence needed for this task. His comeback has also reflected the change of guard as India needs to recover from the past drubbing and win the series in Australia.
Shubman Gill Steps in for Rohit Sharma in the Playing XI
For India, the failure of the waning captain has inspired them to insert Shubman Gill into their playing XI. The inclusion shows that India wanted to make all the right adjustments to win this Sydney Test, and ultimately safeguard the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. There is a call for change for fresh energy to come in once Rohit Sharma has been fairly underwhelming as well.
Internal Struggles Within The Indian Team
There are increasing reports of internal tussle in the Indian team. A report in The Indian Express on January 1, 2025, had mentioned that coach Gautam Gambhir had issued a stern talk to some of the players for their poor form in the series. According to the report, one of the unnamed players has even projected himself as the “Mr. Fix-It” of the team and wants to become the interim captain. This was quite apparent during a pre-match press conference where Gambhir evaded a question on the inclusion of Rohit by discussing the pitch conditions instead.
Evasive Response from Gautam Gambhir
The team’s coach, Gautam Gambhir, was quite silent when asked about Rohit Sharma’s place in the team. He avoided any direct reply. His statement, “The answer is the same,” stressed that the decision of the playing XI would only be taken when the pitch condition would be checked. His refusal to comment on the captaincy matter added more ambiguity to Rohit’s future with the team.
Overview of Rohit Sharma’s Test Career
Rohit Sharma has had a distinguished Test career, scoring 4301 runs in 67 matches since his debut in 2011. He has hit 12 centuries, with a career-high score of 212. However, under his captaincy, India has won 12 Tests, lost nine, and drawn three. While his individual achievements remain significant, his recent leadership struggles and poor form have raised questions about his future as captain.
