A recent report by Cricbuzz says that the national selectors and team management will make a decision on the inclusion of Rohit Sharma in the team for the rescheduled fifth Test at the very last minute. The India team skipper has reportedly failed to recover from a Covid-19 infection when he tested positive during a warm-up game in Leicester last week.
Since testing positive on June 25, Rohit has been in isolation, returning a second positive RT-PCR test. Rohit was also not a part of the squad that travelled to Birmingham on Monday, June 27. Instead, India's all-format skipper travelled to Warwickshire separately. He failed his third test on Wednesday, June 29, leaving the team management and selectors pondering over alternatives.
Speaking to the media ahead of their match, Rahul Dravid said on Wednesday evening, "Rohit is being monitored by the medical team. He is not yet ruled out. Obviously, he needs to get the negative tests before being available. So, he will have a test tonight and one maybe tomorrow morning as well and then we will see."
In his absence, pacer Jasprit Bumrah is reported to act as skipper of the side if Rohit is still deemed unfit for the Test. In such a situation, Bumrah will be the first pacer since Kapil Dev to be given the reins of the team.
The India coach also refused to name the replacement skipper for the team, "It is probably better if the communication comes from official sources. I am not sure where Chetan (Sharma, the chief selector) is, but once we have the exact clarity on Rohit, you will hear from the official sources. It's not for me to give out official communication," he said, adding, "It's up to the medical team and the sports science team to decide. I haven't had a chance to see him since he is in quarantine and isolation. We will keep monitoring the situation."
The names of Ravichandran Ashwin and Rishabh Pant were also discussed but Bumrah was chosen as the better candidate. The former is a doubtful starter for the Test, given his recent Covid-19 history, and the latter is ruled out because of his none-too-impressive record as captain recently. Besides, Bumrah's vast international experience makes him the obvious choice in the current scenario.
The July 1-5 Test is the fifth and final match of the five-game series that was cut short last year after Covid-19 cases came up in the Indian team.
