"Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir are not on the same page" - Former Pakistan cricketer makes big claim as India struggles in BGT 2024-25 3rd Test
India skipper Rohit Sharma faced criticism after he decided to bowl first after winning the toss in the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 Test at The Gabba. Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has claimed that the reason behind India's inconsistent performances is that Rohit and head coach Gautam Gambhir are not on the same page.
The decision to bowl first in Brisbane backfired as Australia posted a total of 445. Travis Head and Steve Smith put up a massive partnership (241 runs), as no other bowler apart from Jasprit Bumrah (six wickets) troubled the hosts.
Be it the decision-making on the field or selecting the right combination, the Indian team have been inconsistent, which is reflected in their performance as well.
"Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir are not on the same page, be it the one-day tournament in Sri Lanka; Bangladesh, which was a weak series; or the New Zealand series after that," Basit Ali said on his YouTube channel.
Ali went on to compare Rohit Sharma's equation with previous coach Rahul Dravid and present coach Gambhir.
"In the second and third (Tests), they (Rohit and Gambhir) are not on the same page, like Rahul Dravid was. He and Rohit were on the same page," he added.
Adding weight to his claim, Basit pointed out the fact that India fielded different spinners in all three Tests against Australia. He also pointed out the flaws in decision-making at the toss.
"In all three Tests matches, a different spinner played. In two Tests matches, they batted after winning the toss, but here they chose to bowl. There are three left-handers in the Australian batting....So why not (Washington) Sundar and why not (Ravichandran) Ashwin? Anybody who understands cricket will definitely talk about it," he explained.
Basit Ali questions Rohit Sharma's decision to bowl first in 3rd BGT 2024-25 Test
As mentioned above, Rohit Sharma has been criticized by many for his decision to bowl first after winning the toss at The Gabba. While the decision could have been influenced by rain and overcast conditions to a large extent, Basit Ali has questioned the call made by the India captain.
"Was the decision to bowl first right? I think it was not. The Indian team is only dependent on Bumrah. The rest of the bowlers are not performing like they should. If I say it's Bumrah vs Australia, that will be right. Similarly, it's Travis Head vs India...Neither Rohit, nor (bowling coach) Morne Morkel and (chief coach) Gautam Gambhir are able to solve this problem," he said in the same video.