Sydney: India captain Virat Kohli didn’t hide Thursday his displeasure at the Rohit Sharma injury saga. Virat Kohli asserted that ‘confusion and lack of clarity’ has led to the team management playing the ‘waiting game’ on Rohit’s availability. However, it is not an ideal situation for the team. .
Kohli was answering media queries online ahead of the ODI series against Australia starting Friday.
“Before the selection meeting, we got a mail that he (Rohit) is unavailable, that he has picked up an injury during the IPL. It said that the pros and cons of the injury were explained to him and he understood and he was unavailable,” Kohli said.
The Indian captain’s view did open a Pandora’s Box about whether he and his white ball deputy have been communicating on various sensitive issues pertaining to the team.
Rohit is nursing a left hamstring injury is doing is rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He is still three weeks away from full match fitness. However, a 14-day hard quarantine (without training) would rule him out of the Test series, starting December 17. Rohit, played in the IPL within days of being left out of the Australia tour. Then he was added to the Test squad.
“After that (the selection meeting) he (Rohit) played in the IPL. We all thought he would be on that flight to Australia. We had no information on why he is not travelling with us. There has been no information, there has been lack of clarity,” Kohli said. “We have been playing the waiting game,” he added.
Also read: India may miss Rohit Sharma for entire Australia Test series
“The only other information we got is that he is in NCA. He is being assessed and he will again be assessed 11th December. It’s not ideal at all. It’s been very confusing and a lot of uncertainty and lack of clarity around the situation,” the skipper’s irritation was palpable.
Kohli asserted that just like Wriddhiman Saha, it would have been ideal for both Rohit and Ishant Sharma to do their rehab programme under national team trainer Nick Webb and physio Nitin Patel.
“Yeah, that would have definitely increased their chances of both of them playing Test matches,” Kohli said. He also referred to senior keeper’s injury management work with regards to his twin hamstring injury.
“Someone like Saha is doing his rehab and we are aware of his progress. He is on the right path to be available in time to play Test series…It would have given them (Rohit and Ishant) a chance to get themselves fit from the start of the Test series,” Kohli stated.
“It definitely would have been very helpful if they would have been here to do the rehab just like Saha has been doing to get fit,” the skipper made it clear where he stood.