Rohit Sharma is probably going through the toughest phase in his cricketing career, both as a batter and as a captain.
Though India's T20 World Cup triumph under him came as a relief, Sharma's form, especially in whites, has been a concern. Though India won both the Tests against Bangladesh at home, the skipper scored only 42 runs in the series.
Next came the shocking whitewash in the three-Test series against New Zealand, when India lost their first home series in more than a decade. Sharma managed to score a fifty but did not make any other meaningful contribution with the bat. His captaincy, too, came under scrutiny.
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Sharma was not part of the team in the first Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia in Perth as he went to India for the birth of his second child. Upon return, not only did his batting woes continue—he tried to bat in the middle order, before returning to the opening slot but could reach double figures only once in three Tests—his captaincy in crunch moments came under fire from former cricketers like Simon Katich and Dinesh Karthik, among others.
Will Rohit Sharma be dropped for the Sydney Test?
With India trailing 1-2 ahead of the final Test which begins in Sydney tomorrow, and Sharma showing no signs of returning to form, he is likely to be rested or dropped from the playing XI. Head coach Gautam Gambhir was non-committal in his response when asked about Sharma's place in the playing XI for the fifth and final Test. He also brushed aside queries on reports of discord in the Indian dressing room.
Who will replace Rohit Sharma as captain—Bumrah or Kohli?
If Sharma does not make the playing XI, Shubman Gill will most likely replace him. But, the larger question is—who will be the captain? Pace spearhead and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, who led the team to a win in Perth, is the obvious choice. But, will he be the long-term choice if India decide to rest Sharma for the upcoming Tests, or if the veteran calls it quits from the longer format? In Mohammed Shami's absence, Bumrah shoulders the burden of the bowling department across formats. So, the team management will be wary of putting additional responsibilities on Bumrah, especially in the longer format.
A report in The Indian Express had quoted a senior BCCI official as saying that a senior player, who termed himself 'Mr Fix-it', has shown captaincy ambitions saying he does not have much confidence in the young brigade to lead the team. While there are speculations who that player is, a Times of India report said that Virat Kohli may be given the reins of the team in the absence of Rohit Sharma, probably after the Australia series, to manage the transition.
It is learnt that the BCCI will review the performance of the team and coach Gambhir after the Australia series. One can expect some tough calls in the coming days.
