The Uncertain Future of Rohit Sharma: Will He Play in the Fifth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy?
CricketPanditWill he, won’t he? For nearly four hours at the SCG on Thursday, the focus was on Rohit Sharma and whether he would decide to end his Test career or at least make a choice about playing in the fifth Test in Sydney. Ultimately, it became clear that what unfolded during those four hours reflected a captain who seemed to have reached his limit. Reports now confirm that Rohit Sharma is likely to miss the fifth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy and will pass the captaincy back to Jasprit Bumrah.
Signs of something being off were evident from the moment the Indian team arrived at the SCG on Thursday.
It began with Gautam Gambhir, the head coach, having a lengthy discussion with Bumrah before Rohit joined them to inspect the pitch. Notably, Rohit was absent from the slip cordon as India kicked off their catching practice. Instead, Shubman Gill took on the role of the slipper for a virtual spinner. Meanwhile, fielding coach T Dilip gathered what could be India’s slip setup for the fifth Test, starting with Virat Kohli at first slip, KL Rahul at second, Nitish Kumar Reddy at third, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at gully. Dhruv Jurel was also included, though he wasn’t part of the initial group.
Throughout this, Rohit was seen kicking a football as part of his warm-up routine. A few minutes later, Bumrah approached Gill, exchanging fist bumps and hugs. The batting session that followed was telling; Rohit was not even in the first group, which included the rest of the top order from the MCG, along with Jurel and a clearly recovered Gill.
Rohit spent that entire period standing at the back, reminiscent of MS Dhoni at this very ground a decade ago, chatting with Bumrah and chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
The speculation surrounding him began the moment Gambhir gave a vague response when asked directly if Rohit would be playing in the fifth Test. “We’ll assess the pitch and then confirm our XI,” the head coach stated. It’s rare for a coach to cite the pitch as a factor in a captain’s selection for the playing XI.
Back in the nets, Rohit walked away after nearly 45 minutes, only to return surprisingly with his pads on. However, he didn’t seem to find his rhythm, facing only throwdowns from Dilip and one of the specialists. He often appeared out of sorts, getting beaten by deliveries more frequently than usual.
At one point, he grimaced as the lower part of his bat took a beating while the coaching staff struggled to find the right lengths. They were bowling too full, forcing Rohit to check his bat repeatedly before having a word with Dilip.
There was a moment when the right-hander let a straight-ish delivery go, which ended up knocking his off-stump out, sending it rolling to the back of the net. Rohit managed a wry smile as he picked up his stump, but that smile faded as he completed what could be his last net session as a Test cricketer.
It wasn’t until later, after Rohit had slowly walked off with Bumrah and Agarkar, that it became clear he was leaving himself out of the final Test. Thus concluded the “will he, won’t he” saga that had captivated everyone on Thursday, as both teams geared up for the big finale at the start of the new year in Sydney.
When: Australia v India, 5th Test, January 3-7, 2025, 10:30 hrs Local Time, 05:00 hrs IST
Where: Sydney Cricket Ground
The weather in Sydney has such a significant impact that our focus tends to be more on the skies than on the action happening on the pitch. However, reports and forecasts indicate that we might only face a late shower as the match progresses. By the time the seasonal rains arrive, the Test match should be well underway. The pitch is anticipated to be the best we’ve seen this summer, likely benefiting both fast bowlers and providing a solid opportunity for batters to score. With warm weather expected over the weekend, the toss will be even more intriguing.
Team News
Australia
Many were taken aback when Pat Cummins announced a major change to the Australian lineup, bringing in debutant Beau Webster to replace Mitchell Marsh. It seemed that Marsh’s late win in Melbourne might have given him another chance in what has been a tough series for him. Meanwhile, Starc underwent scans but was cleared to continue as the leading bowler on his home ground.
Playing XI: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins (c), Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India
Amid the uncertainty surrounding Rohit, there was considerable discussion about the rest of the Indian lineup. It was evident that Gambhir would not stick with the same XI, which has never been his style. With Gill likely stepping in for Rohit, there was much debate about whether India should maintain two spinners or add batting depth by including Jurel in place of Washington Sundar. The only confirmed change was Akash Deep’s absence due to a back injury, potentially paving the way for Prasidh Krishna to return to Test cricket.
Probable XI:Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel/Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammad Siraj.
