Not long after Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir shared hearty laughs on the iconic Lord’s balcony, the two were involved in what appeared to be a tense exchange during the third ODI between India and England on Sunday. Rohit is in a race against time, with the BCCI chairman of selectors and head coach reportedly unconvinced about his place in India’s World Cup plans. But his century, which made him the first Indian men’s cricketer to score an ODI hundred at the Mecca of Cricket, has complicated that equation. What do Ajit Agarkar and Gambhir do now? Can they afford to leave him out after an innings like this? With India’s next ODI series beginning on September 27 against the West Indies, only time will tell what the stakeholders of Indian cricket decide about Rohit’s future. For now, though, he has done his bit, producing a sublime 138 while the rest of India’s batting lineup – barring Virat Kohli and captain Shubman Gill – failed to show much application.
Rohit’s dismissal opened the floodgates as Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul failed to build on his platform, with India slumping to a 27-run defeat. As Rohit watched the chaos unfold from the dressing room, the cameras caught him sitting next to Gambhir, their equation appearing anything but pleasant. As Rohit spoke, Gambhir barely looked at him. Only after the former captain had finished speaking did the head coach respond, their body language suggesting an intense exchange.
Watch the clip below:
Who knows what the future holds
Only Gambhir and Rohit know what the conversation was about, but if it was about Sharma’s future, it was unlikely to have been a comfortable one. Rohit is 39, and despite not doing badly, he continues to be judged. He has registered scores of 121 not out, 75, 79 and 138 across his last four ODI series. Yet, Rohit is being treated as if he were the only missing link in a team, despite several glaring loopholes. Beyond Jasprit Bumrah, India do not have another proven match-winning pacer. There is an obsession with all-rounders. There is no settled sixth batter or specialist bowler. And yet, the hammer always seems to fall on Rohit.
At 39, Rohit is still doing what’s required of an opener. What Yashasvi Jaiswal has done is undoubtedly impressive. But taking only Kohli as the experienced batter to South Africa, where neither Gill nor Jaiswal has enough batting experience, may not qualify as a wise call. Rohit is needed there, and with his gritty century at Lord’s, he has made himself undroppable for now. Who knows what the future holds, though?