Split Wide Open

Gambhir, Rohit ignore each other on match eve

Sydney: 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.

After a game of foot volley in which Rohit and Rishabh Pant were on one side and Virat Kohli on the other, suddenly the penny dropped with a different looking slip cordon.

While Pant was behind the stumps for the slip catching session, the formation behind the batter had Virat Kohli at first slip, KL Rahul at second, Nitish Kumar Reddy at third with Yashasvi Jaiswal manning the gully.

There were no signs of Rohit yet as one headed to the net practice area outside the main stadium.

Ravindra Jadeja was the first one in the nets to receive throwdowns but then Kohli entered followed by Jaiswal and KL Rahul. When Shubman Gill joined the fourth net, the batting sequence of the top-order became somewhat clear. All this while, Rohit and Bumrah were in the dressing room.

The one who looked the most edgy was Kohli, who was in fact bowled twice during the session – once by Nitish Reddy and other time by Washington Sundar.

In one of the throwdown nets, Pant was facing Dayanand Garani.

Once Pant finished his nets, rather than walking back to the dressing room, he walked towards the small wooden gallery where a middle-aged couple were sitting. They happened to be Gill's parents, the only ones allowed in the gallery area.

After nearly 35 minutes, Rohit quietly walked into the net arena and without his kit.

While Gambhir stood at the farthest net, talking to Bumrah, Rohit was at the other end conversing with video analyst Hari Prasad. They stood in their respective places and there was not even minimal interaction between the two.

After the top-order had almost finished their session, Rohit entered the nets. It was just like MCG where he had come to bat after all recognised batters had finished their stint even though he was set to open the innings.

How did Rohit look during his 30-odd minutes of practice? To be honest, he looked a shadow of his old self. He was bowled after missing the line of T Dilip's throwdown. His reaction to deliveries was late.

The most interesting aspect was when Rohit was batting, at the adjacent nets, it was Reddy who was looking in fine touch as he middled most deliveries. The head coach was standing at the umpire's position in the youngster's nets as the captain went about his routines.

Once Rohit was done with his training, he along with Bumrah and Agarkar left the nets but Gambhir stayed back.

It is learnt that during this meeting after training it was decided that Rohit Sharma would be “rested”, which in Indian cricket parlance means “dropped by intimation”.

Nearly 45 minutes to an hour later when the team dispersed, most players came out of the exit door leading to the net area before heading towards the team bus.

Rohit didn't come out with the team and boarded the bus after coming out from the other gate.

As the Indian team were leaving, the SCG operations team was practising its pre-match drill.

“The Indian team led by captain Rohit Sharma,” blared the SCG loudspeaker. It sounded different.

-PTI