Stunned by the turn of events in Sydney, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to defuse the situation by speaking to the senior players once the squad returns to India from the Australia tour.
Reports of discord and lack of camaraderie within the side have left the BCCI worried and The Telegraph understands that a senior functionary has taken the initiative to communicate with captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to find an amicable solution to the transition process.
With Rohit set to lead in the Champions Trophy next month, there’s fear that the rippling effect may be felt in the ODI squad too.
That the BCCI doesn’t have an authoritative person at the helm following the departure of Jay Shah, who took over as ICC chairman last month, hasn’t helped matters. Devajit Saikia is the interim secretary while president Roger Binny doesn’t involve himself with the functioning of the Board.
While Rohit opted out of the final Test in Sydney following a string of failures in the three previous Tests, Kohli’s disappointing performances also haven’t gone down well with the team management. Rohit’s name didn’t feature in the 16-member team sheet for the Test, resulting in speculation that he may retire after the ongoing match.
Sources told The Telegraph that Rohit has been spoken to by chief selector Ajit Agarkar and told that he doesn’t feature in their plans for the next World Test Championship cycle and Kohli could also be communicated on similar lines after this Test. Only a big contribution in the second innings could give Kohli respite for a few months.
It remains to be seen if the BCCI can work out a respectable farewell programme for Rohit and Kohli with both players getting a game before bidding adieu to Test cricket. That, however, seems a tough task since India have no more Tests left to play in the current cycle. The WTC final is at Lord’s in June.
Bumrah, who is leading for the second time in the series in Rohit’s absence, insisted that the spirits were “positive” in the dressing room.
“Yeah, the chat was pretty good... We’re trying to keep the spirits positive and obviously trying to keep the positives in mind and keep the learnings as well,” said Bumrah.
“Obviously, our captain (Rohit) has shown his leadership as well. He’s opted to rest in this game.
“So that shows that there’s a lot of unity in our team. There’s no selfishness. Whatever is in the team’s best interest, we’re looking to do that.”
Rishabh Pant played it safe at the end of the day. “It was an emotional moment. He (Rohit) is our leader but it’s a team management call. I was not part of the conversations and can’t say more,” he said.
