“I can’t talk about the future of any player,” Gambhir said at the press conference after the series. “It’s up to them as well. But yes, what I can say is that they still have the hunger. They still have the passion. They’re tough people. And hopefully they can continue to take Indian cricket forward. But ultimately, as we all know, that whatever they plan, they will plan for the best interest of Indian cricket.”
Rohit has averaged 10.93 over his last eight Test matches with only one fifty-plus score. He spoke to Star Sports at lunch on the second day and said that he had taken the decision to sit out the fifth Test because he thought it would have been hard for the team to win carrying so many out-of-form batters.
He also clarified that he wasn’t retiring from Test cricket yet.
Kohli, meanwhile, has been left frustrated by his vulnerability outside the off stump. He made an unbeaten hundred in Perth but all eight of his other trips to the crease have ended with his outside edge being snaffled up by the wicketkeeper or in the slips. In Melbourne, when that happened, he slumped over his bat. He had been playing an innings that looked, in Steven Smith’s words, like a masterclass until then. In Sydney, when it happened again, he yelled at himself and punched his leg.
“First of all, every individual knows where their game and hunger is,” Gambhir, who had himself gone through a phase late in his career where he was out of form but battling to make the team. “That’s the most important thing for any sport and any profession. It’s not just about the sport.
“It’s about how hungry you are, how passionate you are, and whether the team is moving forward with your contribution or not. Because ultimately, it’s neither my team, nor your team, it’s the country’s team. I believe, as I said, there are very honest players in our dressing room who know how hungry they are.
“But yes, as far as my question is concerned, my biggest responsibility is that I have to be fair to everyone in that room. Not only one or two individuals. If I’m fair to only two or three individuals, and not to everyone else, then I’m being dishonest to my job. So whether it’s a player who hasn’t debuted yet, or a player who has played 100 Test matches, my simple goal in my job is that I have to be absolutely fair and equal to everyone.”
India do not have another Test match to play until June 2025, when they tour England for five games. Rohit will be 38 by then and Kohli will be pushing 37.
When asked about his thoughts on a long-term roadmap for the team in red-ball cricket, and whether it was time to invest in youngsters, Gambhir said, “Look, it’s too early to talk about it. The series has just got over. I think we still have five more months to plan where we want to head towards. But it’s not the right moment right now for me to talk about that. Where are we going to be after five months?
“A lot of things change in sport. Forms change. People change. Attitude change. Everything changes in sport. And we all know that five months is a long time. So, let’s see before the [England] series what’s going to happen. But whatever will happen, will happen for the best interest of Indian cricket.”
Gambhir: ‘I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket’
India next play England in a T20I and ODI series at home in January-February before moving to the UAE for their share of fixtures in the Champions Triphy, which is being hosted by Pakistan. For the players who do not make those squads, there is the option of playing the Ranji Trophy, which resumes after a break on January 23.
“I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket,” Gambhir said. “That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game. If they’re available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket. As simple as it can get.
“If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players what you want in Test cricket.”
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
