 "Rohit avoids discussion on retirement after Melbourne Test defeat, says Pant ‘needs to understand what is required of him’")
The clamour for India Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma and batting superstar Virat Kohli to call time on their glittering careers just grew louder after India conceded the series lead to Australia with a 184-run defeat in the fourth Test in Melbourne on Monday. Both Rohit and Kohli flopped with the bats once again, getting dismissed for 9 and 5 respectively as India were bowled out for 155 after being set a challenging 340 to win in the ‘Boxing Day Test’ at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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The senior duo had been under immense pressure ever since India suffered a whitewash in a home Test series comprising three or more matches for the first time ever and their and their inability to make meaningful contributions with the bat also put a giant question mark over their future, especially in the Test format.
While expressing disappointment over losing what was a hard-fought Test at the MCG that went down the wire on the final day, Rohit avoided directly addressing questions over his future in the Test format and instead, commented on the team’s performance as well as those of Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rishabh Pant and others.
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“I stand where I am standing today. There is nothing to think about what has happened in the past. Obviously, few results have not gone our way. As a captain, yes, that is disappointing,” Rohit, who has scored a meagre 31 runs at an average of 6.20 so far in the ongoing series, told reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“You know, a lot of the things that I am trying to do is not falling in the place that I would want to. But mentally, look, you know, it is disturbing without a doubt. If you have come here and try and do successfully what you’re supposed to and if those things don’t fall in place, that is a big disappointment. But as of now, that is where it is.
“And there are things that we as a team need to look at. I personally need to look at as well. So, we will try and see what happens. You know, there is still a game to go. If we can play that game well, you know, with 2-2, it is a draw. It will be really nice,” added the ‘Hitman’.
Rohit also admitted there wasn’t much turnaround till the New Year’s Test in Sydney, but insisted India will do everything possible to try and move the momentum back in their favour.
“Yes, there’s not enough time,” he agreed, adding, “But we just want to not give it up and make sure that when we turn up at Sydney we try and do everything possible to try and move that momentum towards us again. We have seen it over the years coming here and playing is not easy.
“…Sydney again, we have an opportunity to come out there and do what we can as a team and make sure we try and play that game well,” the skipper seemed to be hoping.
**Pant needs to understand what’s required of him: Rohit
**
It’s not just Rohit and Kohli who have been at the receiving end of the wrath of experts and fans; wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant too has attracted a deluge of criticism for his shot selection in the Melbourne Test.
Pant, who had starred in the series-clinching victory in Brisbane in the 2020-21 tour of Australia, threw his wicket away cheaply with reckless shots twice in a space of three days. Both reckless shots came at crucial junctures with the second one ending an 88-run partnership with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal for the fourth wicket shortly after tea.
Pant was tempted into a pull after being offered a half-tracker by Travis Head and he ended up hitting it down Mitchell Marsh’s throat at long on in what would prove to be the turning point in India’s chase.
Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar had slammed Pant for his "stupid" shot selection off Scott Boland’s bowling on Day 3 and angry netizens wanted the keeper-batter to be dropped along with Rohit and Kohli for the Sydney Test.
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Rohit, however, opted for a more balanced answer in the press conference.
“There hasn’t been any discussion about today. Obviously, you know, we lost the game. Everybody is disappointed about how things actually panned out. We certainly didn’t think of this result. There is no doubt about that.
“Look Rishabh Pant, he needs to understand what is required of him. More than any one of us telling him, you know, it’s about him understanding and figuring out what is the right way to go about it,” he added.
Travis Head gets Rishabh Pant and pulls out a unique celebration 👀#AUSvIND | #PlayOfTheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/EVvcmaiFv7
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 30, 2024
Rohit added that while Pant’s wild ways did bring India plenty of success in the past and helped put opposition bowlers under pressure, he needed to temper that wild side a bit and try and strike a balance.
“It’s just about situation as well. Certain situation of the game where if there is a risk percentage, do you want to take that risk, do you want to let the opposition come back into the game, those are the things he needs to figure out himself.
“See I know Rishabh for a very long time and I understand his cricket as well. In the past also we have had a lot of conversation.
“In terms of conversation, there is no way I can say that I’ve not had a chat with him or he doesn’t understand what the team expects. It’s just that fine line between telling him not to do those things or telling him,” Rohit added.
Told Gill he was not dropped: Rohit
With regards to the call to bench Shubman Gill , who had looked the most assured among Indian batters in the pink-ball Test in Adelaide, Rohit said that it was not a “personal decision”.
“Look, I had a chat with him. There’s no way when you’re leaving someone out, for whatever reason it is, you will have a chat. And the chat with him was clearly he was not dropped. We just wanted to have that extra bit of cushion in the bowling,” Rohit said.
“Hence, we opted for an all-rounder, which shouldn’t weaken our batting line-up. Compromising a batter for a bowler was not something that I wanted to do.
“We wanted to bat as deep as possible and along with that, have the same combination to have a bowling attack which can take 20 wickets. We ended up compromising him unfortunately.
“Of course, everyone has to understand that because eventually we don’t make personal decisions. It is in the best interest of the team, we want to put the team ahead. You make that decision and that’s what we do,” Rohit concluded.
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