India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Sunday (January 5) broke his silence on skipper Rohit Sharma's decision to step aside from the Sydney Test while also addressing the rumours of unrest in the dressing room.
Gambhir's comment came after India suffered a six-wicket defeat at the SCG to concede the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014-15.
Rohit was all over the place in the marquee series, managing just 31 runs in five innings at an abysmal average of 6.20 -- the lowest by a touring captain on Australian soil.
Speculations over his Test future gained momentum after India lost the Boxing Day match in Melbourne. Amid calls for retirement, Rohit decided to opt out of the series finale.
However, the decision triggered several speculations on the Indian team, with one claiming that it was Gambhir who axed Rohit as he prioritised a win in Sydney with the hopes of making the WTC final.
Addressing the media after the Sydney Test loss, Gambhir lashed out at the media reports, calling for “sensibility” as he lauded Rohit for putting the team ahead of personal goal.
“The first thing I would like to say is that there were so many reports written and things said, I mean you could be more sensible about it. When a captain or a leader takes a call, keeping the team in mind, I don't think there's anything bad. A lot of things have been said, but ultimately, individuals are there, but most importantly, there is the team and the country. I think all players should keep the team ahead of their individual interests in. Rohit Sharma showed accountability at the top,” Gambhir told reporters.
Gambhir also refused to blame the Sydney defeat on stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah's inability to bowl in the second innings due to an injury.
Despite the absence in the last innings, Bumrah returned with 32 wickets and was adjudged Player-of-the-Series. He walked off the field and went to the hospital for scans on Day 2 of the series finale. It was later revealed to be back spasm.
"It would have been nice if he would have been there, but we still had five bowlers, and a good team is one which is not dependent on one individual," Gambhir said.
