Indian cricket fans are about to witness a rare Day 5 of a Test match. The AUS vs IND Melbourne Test has ebbed and flowed but it’s now Australia’s Test to lose as the hosts have extended a 333-run lead despite going down 6/91. While all four results (India win, Australia win, Draw, Tie) are possible, Day 5 in Melbourne could have a different meaning. With South Africa already sealing the WTC Final spot, India Cricket Team are in a must-win situation. And a loss or poor batting could be the end of Rohit Sharma’s Test career.
There have been murmurs about Rohit Sharma stepping down from captaincy or calling it quits like Ravichandran Ashwin. While BCCI refuses the rumours, an India loss could force Rohit to take a call. First up is India’s WTC Final 2025 chance.
India’s WTC Final hopes
Team India are not the favourites anymore for WTC Final 2025. In fact, India are just hanging by a thread at the moment. For India to face South Africa in another ICC final, Rohit Sharma’s men must win the Border Gavaskar Trophy 3-1. The series is evenly poised at 1-1.
Australia are 333 runs ahead and India no team has ever chased down more than 250 in modern-day Test cricket. India will need to erase a 96-year-old record to take the lead against Australia. However, that may not be enough.
What do India need for WTC Final?
- India must win the series 3-1 to directly qualify for the WTC Final 2025.
- Rohit’s men can still qualify with a 2-1 result if Sri Lanka can draw a game against Australia.
- If India draw 2-2 against Australia, then Rohit Sharma & Co will need Sri Lanka to win 2-0 against Aussies at home.
- A 1-2 or a 1-3 loss to Australia will dash India’s hopes even if Sri Lanka beat the Aussies 2-0.
Question mark over Rohit Sharma
Simply put, India must win in Melbourne or at least draw to keep their hopes alive. But considering Rohit Sharma’s form, India will need a miracle to win in Melbourne. Yes, India have done the impossible in the past. India chased down 328 to win in Gabba in 2021. However, that’s in the past. One architect of Gabba — Shubman Gill — is out of the Playing XI while another hero Rishabh Pant is out of form.
But now, there is a serious question mark over the leader of the pack: Rohit Sharma. The Indian captain has averaged 5.50 in four innings that he has played. In fact, Rohit is averaging 11.07 in this Test season. With his captaincy already called into question, there are serious doubts about whether Rohit will be seen in an India jersey in Sydney. BCCI, though refuses the rumours.
“There has been no discussion of retirement with Rohit. All are baseless rumours and we don’t comment on rumours. It’s not the first time that we have heard such rumours. He is going through a tough time but whether he should retire is a call he has to take. We haven’t heard anything about it from Rohit. We are in the midst of a Test match and the focus remains on winning it,” a senior BCCI official told InsideSport on Friday.
But if Rohit fails to fire and India end up losing again, there are chances that Rohit will step down, paving the way for Jasprit Bumrah to lead India in the final Test in Sydney. It has happened before and it could happen again. The story will unfold in Melbourne on Day 5 of AUS vs IND 4th Test.
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