‘Rohit Sharma ko bolo ghar baithe’: Jadeja’s stunning remark amid reports of India captain’s return for 2nd B’desh Test
Indian skipper Rohit Sharma had missed the opening Test match of the two-game series against Bangladesh in Chattogram owing to a thumb injury he had incurred during the ODI series that preceded it.
Reports now claim that Rohit is likely to return to Bangladesh for the second Test, to be played in Mirpur starting December 22. But his return is likely to create a massive selection headache especially after stunning centuries from Shubman Gill and Cheteshwar Pujara. When asked who would sit out if Rohit returned, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja gave a stunning reply.
Gill was not in fray for a spot in the XI until the opportunity opened up for the youngster when Rohit was ruled out of the series opener. Gill then made the most of it by scoring his maiden Test century in India’s emphatic 188-run win in Chattogram on Sunday.
Besides Gill, Pujara was the other centurion in the Test match, which helped India set a colossal target of 513 runs. It was Pujara’s first Test century in 52 innings and his fastest ever triple-figure knock.
If Rohit returns, Gill would unfortunately have to make way for the India captain. And had Pujara not scored a ton, India might have even opted Gill to play in place of the veteran. With India likely to go through a selection dilemma, Jadeja suggested that Rohit should remain at NCA, where he is rehabilitating for the injury.
“Tabhi toh bol raha hu Rohit ko bolo ghar me baithne keliye (That is why I suggest Rohit should stay at home). When a player suffers a hand fracture and you cannot hold the bat for about 10 days, even if you recover, you cannot really join the team the very next day. It takes another 1- to 15 days. And we don’t even know the extent of the injury yet. That is why I suggest this. We are looking for a temporary solution and this is the best solution for it,” he said during his conversation with Sony Sports.
The second Test match will begin from December 22 onwards and it will be the final match of the tour.