ODI series: Why all is not well in Indian dressing room despite Ranchi romp

Is all not well within the Indian dressing room — despite the Ro-Ko act bringing back the team's winning ways in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi? The vibes between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and the Big Two of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, according to those following their ODI campaign since Australia, are no longer what it used to be, and their likely communications breakdown will be a key topic of discussion at a meeting convened by the BCCI on Wednesday.

The meeting, planned on the same day as the second ODI in Raipur — an unusual occurrence as it’s not a routine selection committee meeting — is likely to involve BCCI secretary Devojit Saikia, joint-secretary Prabhtej Singh Bhatia, Gambhir and national selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar.

The meeting being planned on a match day, the possibility of the team's two senior pros being called in appears remote, though an educated guess is that the BCCI top brass may now insist on keeping the duo in their blueprint for the 2027 ICC World Cup in South Africa, on current form.

The conundrum over making Ro-Ko part of their plans for the ODI showpiece nearly two years down the line has been ongoing ever since they decided to play just one format since their Test retirement.

Neither Gambhir nor Agarkar — who have ushered in a new look in the Test squad as well as the T20 set-up — indicated any decisive plans to include the two white-ball giants in their plans, putting them under enormous pressure ahead of the three-match series Down Under.

However, India has won two of their last four ODI matches with either Kohli or Sharma being named Player of the Match. In Australia, Sharma scored 73 and 121 to be Player of the Series, and followed it up with a 57 in Ranchi. Kohli, meanwhile, bounced back from successive ducks to scores of 74 and 135 in the last two games, while the emotional security they bring to the squad was for all to see.

Meanwhile, the 2-0 Test series sweep by South Africa at home turned the heat on the head coach and chief selector, with Gambhir subjected to some of the nastiest trolling seen in recent times. If the aftermath of the Ranchi game is any indication, it’s safe to assume that the dressing room could be a divided house soon during the ODI campaigns, which will reflect weak governance on the BCCI's part.

There is a video clip from the broadcasters in which Kohli appears to ignore Gambhir on walking into the dressing room after his dismissal for 135, while video footage of the Player of the Match walking past a cake-cutting ceremony at the hotel lobby by stand-in captain K.L. Rahul did not go unnoticed either.

Kohli, a former captain, entered the lobby while the celebration was underway and saw Rahul, but refused to stop and join the festivities and despite repeated calls from teammates, walked straight past the gathering and headed directly for the elevator.

Gambhir and Sharma, meanwhile, engaged in conversation as they took up positions behind other players. Kohli, as strong-headed a personality as the current coach, has had a history of run-ins, including with none other than Anil Kumble back in 2017, which saw the legendary leg spinner step down.

Times have changed, and it's no secret that the relationship between Gambhir and the Big Two deteriorated during the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy over a number of issues, with the BCCI giving the former a mandate to free the team of a so-called 'superstar culture'.

There are long standing grievances which are unlikely to ease out in a meeting or two, especially with 'super egos' involved. Asked about the hurried meeting convened by the BCCI, those in the know confided to National Herald that a review meeting ought to be on the cards only after the T20I series.

‘’Should the Raipur meeting eventually be held, it will be more with an eye on damage control in the presence of Kohli and Sharma as there is an uneasy calm now. One also has to see how amenable they are to the idea of playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy for more game time,’’ the sources said.