Reports of RIFT between Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir in Team India: Head coach and captain at odds go viral

New Delhi: Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has expressed his disappointment with the Indian team management during the ongoing third Test against Australia. Basit believes that there is a lack of cohesion between head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma. The scrutiny on Rohit's leadership has intensified after India's crushing defeat in the Adelaide pink-ball Test and their lackluster performance in the third Test in Brisbane. Basit pointed out that there seems to be a disconnect between the captain and the coach, which could be affecting the team's performance on the field.

“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. In the second and third (Tests), they (Rohit and Gambhir) are not on the same page, like Rahul Dravid was. He and Rohit were not on the same page,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.

Basit also criticised veteran spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s inclusion in the team for the ongoing Test, questioning the logic behind the same.

“I can explain it very easily. In all three Test matches, a different spinner played. In two Test matches, they batted after winning the toss, but here they chose to bowl. There are three left-handers in the Australian batting lineup… So why not Washington Sundar or Ravichandran Ashwin? Anyone who understands cricket will definitely talk about this,” he added.

Basit also pointed out India’s over-reliance on Bumrah and the lack of left-arm pace bowlers as key factors behind the team’s struggles to counter Travis Head’s onslaught.

“Was the decision to bowl first right? I don’t think so. The Indian team is overly dependent on Bumrah. The rest of the bowlers aren’t performing as they should. If I say it’s Bumrah vs Australia, that would be accurate. Similarly, it’s Travis Head vs India. Neither Rohit, nor (bowling coach) Morne Morkel, nor (chief coach) Gautam Gambhir have been able to solve this problem.

“India doesn’t have a left-arm fast bowler in their squad, which is a weak link. We’ve seen bowlers like Mir Hamza or Shaheen Shah Afridi dismiss Head because of the different angle they bring. That’s why Bumrah bowls round the wicket to Head,” Basit further noted.