Will be difficult for Rohit to play Tests again, says Ponting

BILKULONLINE

Sydney, Jan 3: Australia cricketing great Ricky Ponting feels the path for Rohit Sharma to play Tests again will be difficult after the regular Indian skipper opted to rest from the ongoing fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

Rohit has averaged just 6.2 from the three Tests he played against Australia with the highest score of 10. Speculation around him not playing at Sydney emerged after head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to term him as a guaranteed starter in the pre-match press conference. Rohit had already bid farewell to T20Is after captaining India to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 triumph.

“I think the reaction has been that they all sort of expected that it might happen. The chat’s been for the last couple of days that everyone expected that Rohit would not play this game, that Shubman Gill would come back in and that (Jasprit) Bumrah would probably take over the captaincy again and that’s the way it’s turned out.” “You’d think it’s probably a long way back for Rohit Sharma now in this format of the game. India don’t play a Test match, I believe, until the middle or late June, which is a long way away when you’re sort of coming to the back end of your career.”

“I think he’s been a terrific player for India so with those sort of guys, you wish them all the best and hope to see them back out there again, but as I said, I think it will be a long – and probably difficult road – back for him,” said Ponting to the ICC Review show at the SCG. He also pondered the thoughts behind the word ‘opted out’ being used for Rohit not playing the Sydney Test coming from the Indian team camp. “I was very surprised when I heard the term ‘opting out’ coming into such an important game. We know he’s been a great stalwart for Indian cricket over a long period of time.”

“So the way that they’ve actually worded it, you can only take it on face value. We’ve got to believe what we’re hearing coming out of the Indian camp, but being such a big game, knowing that they have to win this one to retain the trophy, it was an interesting time for one of their more experienced players to opt out,” concluded Ponting.

BGT: We see him as the leader of the team, says Pant on Rohit’s exclusion

With speculations suggesting that Rohit Sharma has played his last Test match for the Indian national team, and the skipper having ‘opted to rest’ for the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant labelled the move as an ‘emotional decision.’ “It was an emotional decision because he’s been the captain for a long time. We see him as the leader of the team. There are some decisions that you are not involved with, it was a call by the management and I was not a part of that conversation so can’t explain further,” said Pant at the end of the day press conference.

Rohit has averaged just 6.2 from the three Tests he played against Australia with the highest score of 10. Speculation around him not playing at Sydney emerged after head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to term him as a guaranteed starter in the pre-match press conference. Sharma opting to sit out paved the way for vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah to lead the Indian side in a series-deciding match.

The 27-year old went on to highlight the Indian spearhead’s positive approach to the game. “The message (from Bumrah) is to be positive all the time, don’t think about what has already happened and. just give your best on the field. That’s what you want from your captain, being in a positive frame of mind and keep moving the game forward each and every day,” he added. Pant was India’s highest scorer on Day 1 having scored 40 runs off 98 deliveries, in an innings laced with three boundaries and one six. Pant’s wicket brought upon a late collapse, with Nitish Kumar Reddy being caught at slips on the very next delivery. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s wicket fell soon after but a lot of controversy surrounded the manner of the latter’s dismissal. Sundar was adjudged caught behind off Australian captain Pat Cummins. The on-field umpire, Saikat Sharfuddoula, had initially ruled Sundar not out, but Australia opted for a review.

Joel Wilson spent considerable time analysing the replays to determine whether Sundar had gloved the short-pitched delivery. The Snickometer showed a spike as the ball passed near Sundar’s glove, but the visuals raised questions. One frame appeared to show no spike when the ball was closest to the glove, while the subsequent frame captured a spike. Pant went on to claim there’s not much to say about the decision but called for a better use of technology in order to provide conclusive results. “There is not much to say because technology is one part which you as a cricketer can’t control. I feel whatever decision is made on the field has to stay with the on-field umpire, unless it’s so conclusive to change the decision. End of the day it’s the umpire’s decision and I can’t challenge it every time but the technology can be a little better,” he said. –IANS aaa/