In a surprising turn of events, Rohit Sharma’s name was not included in India’s official team list of players for the IND vs AUS fifth Test at SCG in Sydney. This development came to light just after the toss, when Jasprit Bumrah stepped in as captain. Bumrah announced that Rohit had “opted to rest” for this match. Interestingly, the BCCI did not release any official statement or social media update regarding Rohit’s absence. According to the reports, even the team sheet circulated on the official WhatsApp group did not list Rohit, not even as a reserve player. According to reports, it was India’s head coach Gambhir’s call to drop the 37-year-old, with the latter prioritising a win in Sydney.
Players Included in the team sheet
The team sheet included players like Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna, who made their comeback in the Test and had the names of all fit members of India’s official squad, except Rohit Sharma. Reserves like Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Harshit Rana were also mentioned in the list, showing that they were ready to step in if needed. Alongside Rohit, the only other player missing was pacer Akash Deep, who was ruled out due to injury.
Rohit’s decision to step down
Rohit Sharma made the difficult decision to sit out after scoring just 31 runs in five innings across three Tests. The 37-year-old seemed far from his best, struggling to connect even his signature shots. Prior to the match, Rohit had a lively discussion with head coach Gautam Gambhir and Bumrah, making it clear that he was opting out. His decision stirred speculation about his future in Test cricket, especially after India lost the fourth Test and faced the possibility of losing the series.
Challenges continue for India
Meanwhile, India encountered early problems on the field once again. After deciding to bat first, KL Rahul (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (10) were dismissed quickly. Virat Kohli narrowly avoided getting out for a duck. Shubman Gill, who seemed to be settling in, got out for 20 with an unnecessary charge against Nathan Lyon, edging the ball to first slip just before Lunch.
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