Sydney, Jan 4: Australian batting great Ricky Ponting on Friday said he was “surprised” by the Indian camp’s wording around Rohit Sharma’s absence from the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but admitted that the move was on expected lines.The match started here on Friday with the visitors eyeing a win to level the series and retain the trophy.
However, Jasprit Bumrah, who walked out for the toss, said Rohit has “opted to rest” from the Sydney Test.
“I think the reaction has been that they all sort of expected that it might happen,” Ponting told The ICC Review.
“The chat’s been for the last couple of days that everyone expected that Rohit would not play this game, that Shubman Gill would come back in and that (Jasprit) Bumrah would probably take over the captaincy again and that’s the way it’s turned out.”
Given the circumstances, Ponting was totally in agreement with the woefully out-of-form Rohit skipping the decider at SCG but the former Australia captain was surprised by the wording of the news that came from the India camp.
“I was very surprised when I heard the term ‘opting out’ coming into such an important game,” Ponting said.
“We know he’s been a great stalwart for Indian cricket over a long period of time. So the way that they’ve actually worded it, you can only take it on face value.
“We’ve got to believe what we’re hearing coming out of the Indian camp, but being such a big game, knowing that they have to win this one to retain the trophy, it was an interesting time for one of their more experienced players to opt out.”
The 37-year-old white-ball great looked like a pale shadow of himself in the ongoing series Down Under, struggling to execute even his bread and butter shots including the trademark front foot pull.
During the customary pre-match warm-up session, Rohit was seen playing football with Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan, who along with Abhimanyu Easwaran will end the series without getting an international game.
Ponting did not say it in as many words but he very well understands that it could be the end of road for Rohit in the game’s traditional format.
“You’d think it’s probably a long way back for Rohit Sharma now in this format of the game,” Ponting said.
“India don’t play a Test match, I believe, until the middle or late June, which is a long way away when you’re sort of coming to the back end of your career.
“I think he’s been a terrific player for India so with those sort of guys, you wish them all the best and hope to see them back out there again, but as I said, I think it will be a long – and probably difficult road – back for him.”
Catch off Kohli’s bat was clean. Ponting had no doubt that the attempt made by Steve Smith at second slip off Kohli’s blade was a clean take.
Kohli edged a length delivery from Scott Boland to second slip, where Smith was positioned. Smith dived low to his right, seemingly catching the ball near the ground before flicking it upward toward gully, where Marnus Labuschagne completed the catch.
However, the decision was referred to the TV umpire, who ultimately ruled Kohli not out.
“I was in the back of the (commentary) box as it happened and from what I saw, and what I believe to be the interpretation of the rules, that seemed to be out to me,” Ponting said.
“The ball may have touched the ground. It may not have touched the ground, but the fact that his right index finger was still underneath the ball, I thought it was a clear catch.”
The incident took place in the eighth over, off the first ball Kohli faced and Ponting admitted the limited angles available did not help.
“It might be one of those ones that depends which dressing room he’s (Kohli) sitting in as well.
“Every Indian fan and Indian player will say that’s not out as it clearly touched the ground, but you could tell by the reaction of the Australians when it happened and even when they saw the replay on the big screen that they were all pretty confident that it was out.
“I’m sure over the course of this Test match we’ll talk about it a whole lot more,” Ponting said.