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Shubman Gill's chat with Rohit Sharma extends to 45 minutes and counting after India's disastrous start in Perth ODI
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were involved in a lengthy conversation during the rain break in Perth. The image is going viral on social media.
Ever since the ODI captaincy was taken away from Rohit Sharma, there has been a lot of chatter on social media about a possible rift between the former India skipper and head coach Gautam Gambhir. There was also a conversation about whether Rohit would continue to share the same camaraderie with Shubman Gill, who took over the reins from him. However, all rift rumours were put to an end on Sunday during the rain delay in the middle of the first ODI between India and Australia.
During the second rain delay in Perth, the Hitman was first seen chatting with Gill inside the dressing room. The duo engaged in a lengthy chat, and later, they were also seen having some popcorn as the rain played spoilsport at the Optus Stadium.
The conversation between Gill and Rohit seemed serious at first as the duo was probably discussing the conditions in play and batting techniques. However, the mood quickly changed as the duo gorged on popcorn and exchanged some jokes. The two batters also looked keenly towards the sky as rain continued to pour down.
Also Read: 'Since I retired from Test cricket…': Virat Kohli breaks silence on staying away from cricket for 5 months
Minutes later, the focus shifted to head coach Gambhir, who was seen joking around with both Rohit and Gill. The India ODI captain was also seen showing something to the 38-year-old on his iPad. Batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was also there in the thick of the action as he listened keenly to what both Rohit and Gill had to say.
However, the absence of Virat Kohli from the dressing room added intrigue to the entire matter, and one really doesn't know what the equation is between Kohli and Gambhir, as the duo were also not seen having a conversation during the nets session ahead of the first ODI.
Ahead of the first ODI, Gill had also opened up about his equation with both Rohit and Virat, saying the truth is completely different from what the narrative on social media suggests, as he continues to share a good rapport with the senior players.
India's horror start in the first ODI
After being asked to bat first, India got off to a disastrous start as Rohit (8), Virat (0) and Shubman Gill (10) lost their wickets cheaply. Rohit was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood while Kohli went back to the dressing room off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.
Gill was truly unlucky as he was strangled down the legside off the bowling of Nathan Ellis. The first ODI against Australia marks the return of Rohit and Virat to international cricket after almost eight months.
In the first ODI, India handed a debut to all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy while Matthew Renshaw and Mitchell Owen played their first ODI for the hosts.
