Former India opener batsman blamed the BCCI selectors for not having a backup opener for Rohit and Shubman Gill for the one-off Test between England and India starting on July 1.
The team initially announced for the Test named three openers: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Shubman Gill, available for the series. But KL was ruled out owing to a groin injury and being incapacitated to play the 5-day match, and till then the BCCI did not add a backup opener.
It was during the warm-up match between India and Leicestershire when on the third day, Indian captain Rohit Sharma could not come out to bat as he had been isolated in his room following a COVID-positive Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). Then the BCCI realized that India were one opener short and called for Mayank Agarwal’s addition to the squad.
Due to this negligence, the former opener and the explosive batsman, Virender Sehwag blamed the board.
Here’s how Sehwag reacted to the situation-
“I think there is a mistake on the part of selectors that we didn’t take an extra opener as back-up. Because everyone thought Rohit is fit, Shubman Gill is fit. No one anticipated this Covid factor. One or two extra players always go and in days of Covid, you have 20-22 extra players. If you have a 22-man squad and you don’t have an extra opener, it’s a big mistake on your part,” he said.
On being asked to comment on what happens if Rohit Sharma doesn’t get fit before the match, he said on that note, the BCCI would have to ask Cheteshwar Pujara or Srikar Bharat to open the innings with Shubhman Gill and they would to instill a lot of confidence into the “makeshift” opener.
“Someone will be asked to open. Maybe Pujara, maybe KS Bharat. Now if Bharat opens and he fails, will he get another chance? Pujara had made an excellent comeback, if he doesn’t score, will he play again? If you do make someone a makeshift opener, you have to give him confidence. ‘that okay, you put yourself above the team, we will back you in the future.”, he said.
Though Rohit’s RT-PCR reports are still awaited, cricket enthusiasts hope our highest run-getter for the series recovers soon and leads the team for his first overseas Test as a captain from July 1 in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
