Rishabh Pant labels Rohit Sharma's decision to drop himself 'emotional'
What's the story
India's star wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has hailed regular skipper Rohit Sharma's decision to leave himself out of the final Test against Australia in Sydney.
Pant called the move emotional and selfless. He also praised Rohit for his leadership qualities, calling him "a true leader" for willingly stepping down and handing the captaincy baton to Jasprit Bumrah.
Here are further details.
Emotional decision
Pant highlights Rohit's selflessness and leadership
During a post-match press conference, Pant said, "There are some decisions you are not involved in. I cannot explain more than that."
When asked about the decision to drop the captain, he said, "It was an emotional decision because he has been captain for a long time. We see him as a leader."
This statement highlights the respect Pant has for Rohit's leadership.
Captain's call
Bumrah confirms Rohit's decision to rest
Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, who took over the captaincy in Rohit's absence, confirmed at the toss that it was entirely Rohit's decision to sit out.
"Our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game," Bumrah said.
Despite this change in leadership, India struggled on the first day of the final Test against Australia, managing only 185 runs due to relentless Australian seam bowling.
Batting woes
India scored a paltry 185/10 on Day 1
India's batting line-up faltered against the Aussies. The visitors scored 185/10 in 72.2 overs.
Virat Kohli, whose form and technical skills are under the scanner, was dismissed for the seventh time on this tour in the "corridor of uncertainty."
At stumps, Australia were at 9/1 with Bumrah dismissing Usman Khawaja (2).
Despite all the troubles, Pant top-scored for India with a gritty 98-ball 40.
Internal conflicts
Rohit's decision follows reports of dressing room discord
Notably, the lead-up to the fifth Test was marred by reports of infighting in the Indian camp.
Reportedly, Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir had clashed and hardly spoke to each other during Thursday's practice session before the match.
This alleged rift adds another dimension to Rohit's decision to resign as captain for this match.
Form
Rohit's form has been woeful of late
Rohit's form has been on a downward spiral. In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has only managed 31 runs from five innings at 6.20.
Before the Australia series, Rohit scored 2, 52, 0, 8, 18 and 11 against New Zealand at home in a three-match affair. India were blanked 3-0 by the Kiwis.
Prior to that, he also failed against Bangladesh, scoring 6, 5, 23 and 8.
In 2024, Rohit managed 619 runs from 14 matches at a dismal 24.76.