New Delhi: India’s Test captain, Rohit Sharma, will be ‘rested’ for the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, with pacer Jasprit Bumrah expected to lead the team in his absence at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Friday morning.
Sources indicate that Rohit has communicated his decision to coach Gautam Gambhir and selector Ajit Agarkar, both of whom have agreed to the move.
This decision also raises the possibility that the Melbourne Boxing Day Test could have been Rohit’s last for India, as he may not be included in the squad for the next World Test Championship cycle, which starts with a tour of England in the summer. Given the current scenario, India is unlikely to make it to the WTC final in this cycle.
Shubman Gill, who was left out of the Melbourne Test, will be back in the playing XI for the final match in place of Rohit Sharma. Gill will bat at number three, while KL Rahul will open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rishabh Pant is expected to keep his place in the team, and Prasidh Krishna will replace the injured Akash Deep, who was ruled out of the series decider on Thursday.
On the eve of the match, Gambhir was observed engaged in extended discussions with Bumrah while the team carried out fielding drills. Rohit made a short appearance at the nets, where he practiced with side-arm bowlers, and was one of the last to take the field for practice. He also skipped the usual slip fielding drills.
Later, when Gambhir was questioned about Rohit’s position in the playing XI, he refrained from giving a definitive answer. “Everything is fine with Rohit. We are going to have a look at the wicket and announce the playing XI tomorrow,” Gambhir added.
Rohit has faced difficulties in recent Test matches, with an average of just 6.2 in his last three games in Australia and 10.93 across his previous nine Tests. His leadership has also been questioned after India was whitewashed by New Zealand at home, followed by two losses to Australia in the ongoing series, despite India’s win in the first Test under Bumrah’s captaincy.
Bumrah will get another chance to captain the team in the crucial fifth Test, which India must win to equalize the series 2-2 and keep hold of the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
