SCG Test: Gautam Gambhir remains tight-lipped about Rohit Sharma's inclusion
What's the story
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir, has sparked curiosity by attending the media briefing instead of team captain Rohit Sharma, ahead of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney.
Despite this unusual move, Gambhir downplayed any speculation and remained non-committal about Rohit's participation in the final Test.
"The thing is, everything is fine with Rohit and I don't think it's anything traditional [captains attending press conferences one day before a match]," he said.
Performance review
Rohit's performance under scrutiny
Rohit's performance in the longest format has been underwhelming since October 2023, averaging just 11.69 from seven previous matches.
His struggles continued into the Boxing Day Test as he could only manage scores of three and nine at the MCG.
On this tour, Rohit has only managed a paltry 31 runs in six innings, exposing his glaring weaknesses against pace and good length deliveries.
Team strategy
Gambhir's stance on team selection
When asked if Rohit would be dropped for the important match, Gambhir said: "We're going to have a look at the wicket and probably announce the playing XI tomorrow."
This means final calls on selection are still pending.
After India's shock defeat against New Zealand last year and Ravichandran Ashwin's retirement after Brisbane Test, tougher calls are expected as India aren't likely to reach their third consecutive World Test Championship final.
Transition phase
Gambhir emphasizes performance in cricket transition
Gambhir stressed on the need to be honest and perform in this transition phase.
"I think Indian cricket will always be in safe hands till the time you've got honest people sitting in that room," he said.
He added, "And it is not about phasing out senior players or getting the youngsters in. Ultimately, the only thing that can keep you in that dressing room is the performance."
Confidence boost
Gambhir confident of India's potential despite recent loss
Despite the recent loss at MCG which gave Australia a 2-1 lead, Gambhir was confident India would bounce back.
"Extremely, extremely confident [of winning]. You know, we've got the skill set. We've got the individuals. We've got everything in that dressing room that can win a Test match here," he said.
This shows he believes the team can do well in the upcoming matches.