Former Australia captain and batting legend Ricky Ponting is surprised to hear “opting out” as the reason being given by the Indian camp for captain Rohit Sharma not part of the playing eleven in the series-deciding fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, which began on Friday.
The out-of-form Rohit, who has scored just 31 runs in five innings of this Border Gavaskar Trophy, was replaced by Shubman Gill while Jasprit Bumrah captained the side.
“I was very surprised when I heard the term ‘opting out’ coming into such an important game…The way they’ve actually worded it, you can only take it on face value,” said Ponting, talking on the ICC Review show after the first day’s play at the SCG.
“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.”
Trailing the five-match series 1-2, India must win in Sydney to retain the BGT as the previous edition’s winner. On the other hand, a draw will be enough for Australia to reclaim the trophy after 10 years.
Questions about Rohit’s participation in Sydney arose when head coach Gautam Gambhir declined to confirm his place in the playing eleven during the pre-match media briefing on Thursday.
“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 Bumrah would probably take over the captaincy again, and that’s the way it’s turned out,” said Ponting.
“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,” he concluded.
Australia were 9 for 1 at stumps in Sydney on Friday after bowling India out for just 185, with Scott Boland taking four wickets.
