With Rohit Sharma missing from India’s lineup against Australia for the fifth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, the new chapter possibly began for Indian cricket. After not going well for him in the given matches, he decided to skip the Sydney match. Referring to Sunil Gavaskar, it can be said to be for the first time that an Indian captain dropped himself from the playing XI just because of poor performance. But former India star Sanjay Manjrekar, who was part of the commentary panel of the official broadcasters, found it really amusing that so little was said about Rohit’s absence at the toss.
The former India coach was there at the toss and didn’t detailly inquire into the absence of Rohit Sharma. Stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah mentioned-“Our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game. That shows there’s a lot of unity in this team. There’s no selfishness. Whatever is in the teams best interest, we are looking to do that”.
However, Manjrekar wondered after the toss has just so little been said about the incident, which happens to be one of the major incidents in Indian cricket this year.
“This might come as very mysterious From Ravi (Shastri). I was amazed. I don’t understand this cloak and dagger thing in Indian cricket. This is the issue with Indian cricket culture. We are just secretive in our operation. Rohit Sharma is someone who has played 62 Test matches,” said Manjrekar on Star Sports.
“In India, fans aren’t treated as part of the family. They have to share with the fans who have made cricket the great game that is India. There is no other thought in the minds of fans when they see Bumrah walking out than, What happened to Rohit Sharma? Has he opted out? Has he been dropped? It has really surprised me that at the toss he wasn’t asked. I have done the toss a couple of times. That would have been the first question after asking him, What are you doing?”
A guy who has played one Test less than everyone else will also be in doubt about what ‘opting to rest’ means.
Officially, his opting to rest. Hey, fans are not going to accept that, is it? This is the guy who didn’t play in the first Test, didn’t play any domestic cricket leading up to the New Zealand series, and if anyone should be asking for rest, it’s the captain playing this Test.” he chimed
“That’s the problem I have with Indian cricket culture, man. We have really fantastic cricketers and they do attract hordes of fans to follow them. But we don’t give them facts as much as they deserve by this very mysterious and secret society around some of the important and given issues.”
“It is not that Rohit is an all-time great; hence, this need for secrecy. I can understand if it’s Virat Kohli. But Rohit has played 60-odd Tests with one overseas century and an average of just 40. I just don’t understand this mystery,” Manjrekar told Wisden.
Later continued Manjrekar on X: “So typical of Rohit Sharma. Doing the right thing by what’s right for the team. But just did not get the whole ‘cloak & dagger’ about it. Not even mentioned at the toss.”