There’s been a lot of chatter surrounding the Indian team and certain off-field issues ahead of the Sydney Test. While the penultimate Test of the series was expected to focus on the return of Rohit Sharma, the breach of bio-bubble protocols and India’s stricter quarantine measures ahead of the 4th Test made headlines instead.
While a lot has happened away from the 22-yard strip since the Boxing Day Test concluded with India taking an 8-wicket victory to draw the series 1-1, former spinner Pragyan Ojha feels it has all been an attempt to unsettle the tourists, especially Rohit with such off-field chatter.
“I think, at this point in time he would be looking forward to the game starting. Because there has been so much talk off the ground. All the cricketers will be looking forward to the game starting because then everything else quietens down, it’s about the cricket,” Ojha told Sports Today.
Rohit is one of the biggest stars in the Indian cricket team. His career in the Test format might not have been as illustrious as the white-ball format but the Hitman’s recent heroics with the bat in the whites have marked the beginning of a new chapter altogether.
Ojha feels by dragging Rohit’s name to the off-field controversies, Australians were trying to unsettle him but such noise will only make him more focussed towards the on-field task.
“They were trying to corner Rohit Sharma because the new Rohit is a person who can make a lot of difference to the team. As a leader, he can be a great help to Ajinkya Rahane. As a batsman, if he gets going, it will be very tough. Maybe, they thought of trying and unsettle our boys. But everything now seems to be put to rest after the boys tested negative.
