BGT, Gabba Test - BCCI needs robust selectors to take tough calls: Greg Chappell on Kohli, Rohit’s Test future

After India suffered an embarrassing 10-wicket defeat against Australia in the second BGT Test in Adelaide, several former players and pundits came down hard on the visiting camp, mainly veteran duo of Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma, for their poor outing in the Pink-Ball Test. While Kohli got out chasing the fifth stump line in the second innings, Rohit never looked in his element across both, playing at number six in his return game.

The Indian captain missed the series opener in Perth for personal reasons and linked up with the BGT-bound squad midway through the first Test. Though he played the warm-up match against Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra, getting out cheaply, his demotion in the batting order to adjust KL Rahul at the top, who did wonders at the Optus Stadium, hurt Rohit and India massively in Adelaide.

As the star players failed to deliver under the lights, India conceded the 1-0 lead, with the scores tied heading into the third Test at the Gabba in Brisbane starting December 14.

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Meanwhile, former India coach and Australia great Greg Chapell expressed his views on the Test future of these two stalwarts. Backing them to continue playing for as long as they wish, adding they deserve to take a call on their future whenever they want, Chappell argued if Virat and Rohit’s form is hurting India, the Indian Board must have robust selectors to take tougher calls for the betterment of their cricket.

“You know yourself whether you’re at your peak or not. But they obviously love playing the game. They want to play it as long as they can, and they have every reason, every right to want to go as long as they can. That’s why you need good, robust selection policies and selection panels to make those tough decisions,” Chappell said, as quoted by the Hindustan Times.

“It’s not up to the players necessarily to make those decisions. They might want to make that decision. But it’s a well-paid job. Who’s going to walk away from it? Someone else has to make that decision. That’s why you need robust selection panels and policies,” he continued.

‘Tough to take those calls’

Pressing on how important it is for the selectors, the players and the board to be on the same page, with a mutual interest being the improvement and winning series and titles for the team, Chappell said it’s never easy to chat with ‘Big Boys’ of any team about their futures.

“It’s very tough. You’ve got to pick the right people to be selectors, the ones that are prepared to have those tough conversations. They can be. Depends on the relationships between the various people in the room. But we all go through it, everyone that plays at that level.

“You’ll have your ups and downs as a player. With good players, you prefer to give them a game too many than a game too few. So, it’s always tough to get that balance right.

“Everyone goes through it; every team goes through it. No cricket team is ever a finished article. You’re always looking at ways that you might improve it. So, you’re constantly bringing players in, bringing players out. But when you get the superstars, you want them to go as long as they possibly can. So, occasionally you might let them go a bit too long,” Chappell noted.

(With inputs from agencies)