India skipper Rohit Sharma will not feature in the fifth and final Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, The Indian Express reported.
According to the report, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to walk out for the toss on Friday (January 3) morning at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The report also claimed that Rohit has informed head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar of his decision to withdraw from the fixture and the duo have agreed to give him a rest.
This means the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne may have been Rohit’s last for India, considering that the 37-year-old is unlikely to be in the scheme of things for India’s next World Test Championship cycle, which begins with the tour of England later this year.
Shubman Gill, who was left out of the Melbourne Test, is likely to return to the playing XI in place of Rohit. Gill will bat at No. 3 while KL Rahul will go back to the opening spot after playing one down at the MCG, the report further stated.
Contrary to the popular belief, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is set to retain his place in the side. Fast bowler Prasidh Krishna is set to replace Akash Deep, who was ruled out of the series-decider due to a stiff back.
Coming to Rohit Sharma, he has come under scrutiny for his poor batting form in the ongoing tour Down Under. The right-hander has managed just 31 runs across five innings, scoring 3, 6, 10, 3, and 9 at an abysmal average of 6.20 -- the lowest by a touring captain on Australian soil.
Addressing the media on the eve of the Sydney Test, India head coach Gautam Gambhir remained non-committal, refusing to confirm whether Rohit would feature in the match.
“Everything is fine with Rohit and we will announce that (Playing 11) tomorrow, after seeing the pitch. We had just one conversation in our dressing room - how we will win the next test, as it is important for us,” Gambhir told reporters.
Rohit missed the series opener in Perth due to paternity leave. In his absence, Bumrah led the Indian team to 295-run victory. However, Australia bounced back and defeated the visitors by 10 wickets and 184 runs in Adelaide and Melbourne respectively to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
India are now facing a must-win situation in Sydney to level the series and retain the coveted Border-Gavaskar trophy.
(With The Indian Express Inputs)
