Rohit Sharma confirms Shubman Gill wasn't dropped; publicly targets Rishabh Pant’s shot selection

Team India skipper Rohit Sharma shed light on Shubman Gill's absence from the playing XI during the fourth Test against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). Rohit Sharma confirmed that Shubman Gill was not "dropped" but was left out due to the team's bowling combination in Melbourne.

Washington Sundar was picked as the second spinner alongside Ravindra Jadeja for the fourth Test. Shubman Gill was left out after scoring 31, 28, and 1 in the second and third Tests. Notably, the young batter missed the series opener due to injury. In Gill's absence, KL Rahul batted at No. 3 in the Melbourne Test.

Shubman Gill Was Not Dropped - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma said that Shubman Gill did not fit in India's combination for the recent match. Rohit emphasized that the decision was made to maintain a balanced team that could take all 20 wickets.

“The chat with him was that clearly he was not dropped. We just wanted to have that extra bit of cushion in the bowling and hence we opted for an all-rounder, which shouldn’t weaken our bowling line-up,” Rohit said in the post-match press conference.

"Compromising a batter for a bowler was not something I wanted to do, we wanted to bat as deep as possible, and along with that have a bowling attack which could take 20 wickets, you know, so we considered everything and we ended up compromising him unfortunately," he added.

Shubman Gill's position in the playing XI came under scrutiny after not scoring a half-century outside Asia since the 2020-21 tour to Australia. Rohit returning to the opening slot with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul was moved down to No. 3.

Rishabh Pant Needs to Understand What Is Required from Him - Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma said that Rishabh Pant needs to figure out for himself when to take risks, especially in key game situations. Reflecting on Pant's recent performance, Rohit said that there haven't been any discussions in the dressing room but expressed disappointment in the wicketkeeper-batter's approach.

“There hasn’t been any discussion about today. We are all disappointed. Pant needs to understand what is required from him. More than anyone else telling him. He himself needs to understand what is required,” Rohit told the reporters.

“As a captain, you know, it’s very hard to have conversation when, you know, it has given him a lot of success as well. But it’s about him figuring out, you know, what is the right way to do things. It’s just about situation as well.

Rishabh Pant Dismissal Opened the Door for Australia to Push for Victory

Australia defeated India by 184 runs in a thrilling final-hour finish on day five of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Monday, December 30. This victory gave Australia a 2-1 series lead ahead of the fifth and final Test in Sydney, starting on January 3.

India were bowled out for 155 runs in the final innings. After a shaky start at 33 for 3, Rishabh Pant (30 off 104 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal added an 88-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, Pant’s aggressive shot off part-time bowler Travis Head opened the door for Australia to push for victory.

Also read: Watch: Akash Deep upset with third umpire's decision a few overs after Yashasvi Jaiswal's controversial dismissal