Rohit Sharma clarifies Shubman Gill's exclusion from Boxing Day Test
30 Dec 2024

India's Test captain Rohit Sharma has explained why Shubman Gill was not included in the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

After a disappointing 184-run defeat on Monday, Sharma said that Gill was not dropped but left out keeping in mind certain team requirements.

The decision was motivated by a need for better bowling combinations and batting depth.

Sharma's strategy prioritized bowling strength and batting depth
Team composition

Sharma stressed that the decision to leave out Gill wasn't because of his performance, but a tactical decision to bolster the team's bowling attack.

"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," Sharma said.

He added that sacrificing a batter for a bowler wasn't something he wanted.

Gill's performance and position in the team
Performance review

Gill's recent scores include 31 and 28 in the Day/Night in Adelaide, and a disappointing single run in Brisbane.

Despite not having scored a fifty outside Asia since his last tour to Australia in 2020/21, Sharma insisted that there was never any doubt about Gill's batting abilities.

The decision to exclude him was purely strategic, aimed at achieving a balance between batting and bowling strengths.

All-rounders Reddy and Sundar justify their selection
Selection validation

Washington Sundar, who replaced Gill, justified their selection with significant contributions in the first innings. All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy also slammed a vital ton.

However, Sharma only utilized this duo for 27 overs with the ball across two innings as Jasprit Bumrah carried most of the workload.

Despite these efforts, India's top order struggled, with only Yashasvi Jaiswal managing over 80 runs in both innings.