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| Split Wide Open: Gambhir, Rohit ignore each other on match eve | | |  Agencies
SYDNEY, Jan 2: It was around half past one when Gautam Gambhir walked towards the centre strip at the Sydney Cricket Ground with Jasprit Bumrah in tow.
A few minutes later, Rohit Sharma also joined the duo in the middle but there was hardly any communication between the head coach and the designated captain.
Then Gambhir showed up at the pre-match press conference (usually the captain attends it) and chose not to confirm Rohit's place in the playing eleven for the fifth and final Test.
"We will look at the pitch and decide," Gambhir said when asked about Rohit's place in the team.
In the media interaction, Gambhir also spoke about "honesty" and "performance being only criteria to be in Indian dressing room" and soon after that, he was seen engaged in a conversation with Bumrah while the rest of his teammates were warming up with a round of foot volley.
All present at the SCG witnessed a complete communication breakdown between skipper and the head coach.
There were already enough indications but the developments on Thursday made one thing as clear as daylight. Rohit Sharma is no longer in coach Gautam Gambhir's scheme of things after scoring just one second innings half-century in the eight Tests that he has played this season.
It is learnt that an influential cricket administrator, who commands a lot of respect in the BCCI, has had a word with the head coach to explore if the skipper can be allowed to play the Sydney game and bow out from the Test arena. However, the head coach's priority is to ensure India wins in Sydney and remains in hunt for a place in the WTC final.
Such is the state of affairs that Rohit was more comfortable speaking to his deputy Bumrah and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar than Gambhir. |
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