5 August 2025,
Tuesday
5 August 2025,
Tuesday
The year 2024 has been a rollercoaster for the Indian cricket team. India started by winning the ICC T20 World Cup, but their performance has since declined significantly. A whitewash in the home Test series against New Zealand, followed by defeats in Adelaide and Melbourne against Australia, have severely hampered their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final. Although one match remains in the series, a win in Sydney seems unlikely given the current form of the Indian players. A report suggests that BCCI top officials may question coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma about the recent results, and also discuss R Ashwin's retirement.
The debate surrounding Rohit Sharma's potential retirement from Test cricket has intensified due to two main factors. Firstly, he hasn't scored the necessary runs to secure his place in the team throughout the series. Secondly, Jasprit Bumrah, as captain, demonstrated his ability by defeating Australia in Perth, but India lost two matches after Rohit Sharma's return. This has forced the BCCI selection committee to accelerate the process of change.
Several legends, including Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri, are discussing Rohit Sharma's potential exclusion from Test cricket, particularly after he dropped Shubman Gill from the playing eleven in Melbourne to make room for himself as an opener.
Former Australian cricketer Mark Waugh stated, "If I were a selector right now, it would depend on what happens in the second innings, but if he doesn't score runs… I'd say, 'Rohit, thank you for your service. You've been a great player, but we're going to bring in Jasprit Bumrah as captain for the Sydney Cricket Ground."
Addressing the press conference after India's defeat in the fourth Test, Rohit Sharma didn't directly acknowledge his failures, instead attributing blame to Pant and others. He stated, "I am where I am today. There's no point thinking about what happened in the past. Obviously, some results haven't gone our way. As a captain, yes… it's disappointing."
Rohit Sharma further added, "Yes, even as a batsman, what I'm trying to do isn't working out. But, mentally, it's disturbing. If you're here, you want to successfully achieve what's expected of you. If these things don't work out, it's a huge disappointment."
The discussion about Rohit Sharma's potential Test retirement isn't solely based on this series. It's noteworthy that he has only scored 164 runs in his last 15 Test innings, with an average of less than 11. In contrast, Shubman Gill's numbers are double that of Rohit's, yet he was benched in Melbourne.
Since Gautam Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as India's head coach, several surprising results have emerged. This includes losing the ODI series against Sri Lanka, the whitewash in the home Test series against New Zealand, and now falling behind 1-2 in Australia, almost eliminating their chances of reaching the World Test Championship final. Certain team selection decisions have also brought Gambhir under scrutiny.
However, a Cricbuzz report claims that the coach had no role in playing eleven selections. Gambhir's role in R Ashwin's sudden retirement after the third Test in Brisbane has also been questioned, but the report claims the coach was not involved. After the conclusion of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, top BCCI officials may question both Rohit and Gambhir.
