Rohit Sharma vs Gautam Gambhir: Power Play On, Skipper and Coach Know It Very Well

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Like a hailstorm whistling through the woods to leave behind its trail of destruction, Rohit Sharma faces banishment from Test cricket. To not be named even in the 16 on the morning of the Sydney Test in the BGT Series has many ramifications.

Nevertheless, even as Rohit was alone and watched the proceedings from the dressing room, he would have been thinking a lot. He is out in the cold, to put it figuratively. It is now more or less certain Hitman will have no role in the transition phase in Indian Test cricket.

Yet, the support he has received from former stars like Navjot Sidhu and Mohd Kaif plus many more is a clear sign they are rallying behind him. Even what new skipper Jasprit Bumrah said at the toss on Friday morning that Rohit has rested himself resonates.

The plan ahead in transition for Test cricket, Bumrah will be the captain. He has a good rapport with the players. If it comes to workload management, then in Rishabh Pant, there is a rightful second-in-command. It is not as if Pant has to be groomed. He batted differently on Friday and can take on the leadership role.

And for those who propped up the name of Shubman Gill, that will be impossible. Gill's own form is shaky and he may not even stay the Gujarat Titans skipper in IPL 2025. So, Gill as vice-captain is ruled out. It's now clear, that Jasprit Bumrah will be guided by Virat Kohli.

For all the vitriol that the former India skipper faces daily on social media and main media from the other 'lobby,' Kohli is going to be part of the think-tank as a senior. Even Ravindra Jadeja will be on board. Carping critics must not forget Kohli was instrumental in the transition when Rohit took over.

As regards Kohli-bashing for his failure outside the off-stump, it's not going to matter. He has set lofty standards in fitness and also has one ton to his name in the BGT Series. He will be part of the Test tour to England is the current information. Of course, Indian cricket is in a state of flux. More can change.

The man who needs to watch out is Gambhir. He may have been brave at the press conference and spoken sarcastically as well, a day before the final Test. Flip through the pages of Indian cricket history, in a battle between a marquee player and a coach, the latter has faced moments of anguish.

So, Gambhir needs to take fresh guard. He has to also prove himself. Shifting the blame will not work, he has a whole entourage to guide him as a coach in the form of assistants. If the media is going to act as a watchdog, Gambhir will also be under intense scrutiny. He should know it well.

This is a different job, not like showing disrespect to MS Dhoni even 14 years after the ICC World Cup win in Mumbai. Back to the future of Rohit Sharma, he is not going to be jettisoned as the ODI skipper for the Champions Trophy.

He may be out of form in Test but if the T20 World Cup win in 2024 is a benchmark and reaching the ODI World Cup final in 2023 is used as a barometer, Rohit gets the nod. The problem will be how Rohit works with Gambhir for the Champions Trophy.

There has been ill-will between the two and more stories are bound to be written in the coming days. Journos is still back Rohit and he knows it well. Hypothetically, Gambhir was a T20 mentor at KKR in the IPL 2024.

If that is his credentials, he will have to prove it in the Champions Trophy. The hype is massive and India vs Pakistan in Dubai will be a cricket war minus shooting. If you lose to anyone, doesn't matter, but not the Pakis. So, watch out for all the developments. Power Play is on!