India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma Clears the Air on Shubman Gill’s Inclusion, Criticizes Rishabh Pant’s Shot Choices
Rohit Sharma clarified that Shubman Gill was not dropped from the fourth Test against Australia but was excluded due to team combination, as India opted for an extra bowler. He also criticized Rishabh Pant's shot selection, urging him to understand when to take risks. India lost the match by 184 runs, with Australia taking a 2-1 series lead.
Before the start of the 4th Test match between India and Australia, Shubman Gill became a talking point after being left out of the playing XI. India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, clarified that Gill wasn’t “dropped”, but the decision was made to maintain a balanced team with a strong bowling attack. He said:
The chat with him was that clearly he was not dropped. We just wanted to have that extra bit of cushion in the bowling and hence we opted for an all-rounder, which shouldn’t weaken our bowling line-up. Compromising a batter for a bowler was not something I wanted to do, we wanted to bat as deep as possible, and along with that have a bowling attack which could take 20 wickets, you know, so we considered everything and we ended up compromising him unfortunately.
With India opting for an additional all-rounder, Washington Sundar, in place of Gill, the move aimed to strengthen the team’s bowling without compromising the batting lineup. Gill had been struggling, with scores of 31, 28, and 1 in the second and third Tests. Rohit Sharma also addressed Rishabh Pant’s shot selection, expressing disappointment over his dismissal in the final innings. On Pant, Rohit added:
There hasn’t been any discussion about today. We are all disappointed. Pant needs to understand what is required from him. More than anyone else telling him. He himself needs to understand what is required. As a captain, you know, it’s very hard to have a conversation when, you know, it has given him a lot of success as well. But it’s about him figuring out, you know, what is the right way to do things. It’s just about the situation as well.
Pant’s aggressive shot off Travis Head led to his wicket, opening the door for Australia’s victory. Despite his previous successes, Rohit emphasized the importance of Pant recognizing when to take risks, especially in critical game situations. Australia won the match by 184 runs, taking a 2-1 series lead.
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