Rishabh Pant on Rohit Sharma’s Absence: “Emotional, But It’s a Management Call”
Rishabh Pant on Rohit Sharma’s Absence: "Emotional, But It’s a Management Call"
In Rohit’s absence, Bumrah stepped up to captain the team for the Sydney Test.
“He is our captain, and obviously there will be some emotion. As for the decision, it was a management call, so I was not part of that conversation, so I can’t explain anything other than that,” says Rishabh Pant about Rohit Sharma’s absence in the fifth test.
In Rohit’s absence, Bumrah stepped up to captain the team for the Sydney Test. He had already guided India to a win in the first Test held in Perth. During the toss, Bumrah noted that Rohit had chosen to take a break for this match.
“His primary message is to maintain a positive mindset and to focus on the present rather than dwelling on the past. It’s all about giving your best effort on the field, which is exactly what you expect from a captain,” says Pant about Bumrah as captain.
Shubman Gill, absent from the Boxing Day Test, has rejoined the playing XI for the final Test against Australia. He takes the place of captain Rohit, who has faced difficulties during the tour, managing just 31 runs in three matches.
Ravi Shastri, the former coach of India, suggested that the captain could be considering retirement from Test cricket. The 37-year-old opener, Rohit, has faced challenges during the series, and his absence from the pre-match press conference for India raised questions about his possible exclusion from the team.
Coach Gautam Gambhir spoke to the media on Thursday but refrained from giving direct backing to Rohit. With India down 2-1 in the series ahead of the final Test, stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah mentioned at the toss that Rohit had chosen to rest for the team’s advantage.
“It still is a brave call for a captain to own up and say, ‘I’m prepared to take the bench in this game. If there was a home season coming up he might’ve thought of carrying on, but I think he might just pull the plug at the end of this Test. It’s not that India don’t have youngsters. There are very, very good players in the wings and it’s time to build. Tough decisions, but there is a time for everything,” says Ravi Shastri.
