India captain Rohit Sharma with wife Ritika Sajdeh© Instagram
After the India vs New Zealand series at home results in a 3-0 loss for Rohit Sharma and co.’s men, the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, starting on November 22, holds extra significance for the side. India need to beat Australia in at least four Tests in the five-match series to qualify for the World Test Championship final without depending on other teams’ results. In the midst of this several reports claimed that skipper Rohit Sharma might miss the first Test due to a personal reason.
In response to those reports, Sunil Gavaskar had said that the team should appoint a new captain for the entire series if Rohit is unable to make it to the first couple of Tests.
“We have been reading that Rohit Sharma will not play in the first Test, perhaps he will not play in the second as well. If this is the case, then I say that, right now, the Indian selection committee should say that ‘if you have to rest, rest, if there are personal reasons then look at them. But if you are missing two-thirds of the matches then you should go for this tour only as a player. We will make the vice-captain the captain of this tour’,” Gavaskar had told Sports Tak.
“Indian cricket is the most important. I would say that if we had won the New Zealand series 3-0, it would have been a different matter. Because we have lost this series 3-0, there is a need for a captain. The captain has to unite the team. If there is no captain in the beginning, it is better to make someone else the captain,” Gavaskar had further added.
However, former Australia Finch disagreed with Gavaskar’s opinion.
“I disagree with Sunny on that totally. Rohit Sharma is the captain of the Indian cricket team. If you need to stay at home because your wife is having a baby… that’s such a beautiful moment… and you take all the time that you need in that regard,” Finch told ESPNcricinfo.
Now, Rohit Sharma’s wife Ritika Sajdeh has appreciated Finch’s stance. She reacted with a ‘salute’ emoji tagging Aaron Finch on an Instagram post highlighting both Gavsakar and Finch’s comment.
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