Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma reportedly played his last Test match and it was the Boxing Day Test where the tourists suffered a 184-run defeat against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Melbourne last month.
With India’s WTC Final 2025 hopes hanging in the balance, they will be desperate to win the fifth and final Test against Australia on Friday, January 3, 2025, to tie the Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). series and retain the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rohit Sharma will miss the New Year Test as Jasprit Bumrah takes over as India’s captain.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma is said to be “rested” for the fifth and final Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia ahead of the New Year’s Test in Sydney. The 36-year-old has decided to rest for the match with star paceman Jasprit Bumrah, who is captaining the Indian cricket team in the do-or-die clash against Australia in Sydney.
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The Indian Express has confirmed that Rohit Sharma has briefed head coach Gautam Gambhir and the chairman of selectors. Ajit AgarkarAbout his decision to sit out the New Year’s Test and the possible reason for the call was his poor form with the bat in the ongoing five-match Test series.
The report further claimed that both Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar agreed with the Indian captain’s decision, which means vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will be out for the toss at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on Friday morning.
Shubman Gill set to return to SCG Test; Prasidh Krishna will replace the injured Akash Deep
At the same time, it could mean that the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne could be Rohit Sharma’s last Test for India as he may not be part of the Indian cricket team for the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. tour England next summer.
On the other hand, Shubman Gill, who was ruled out of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, is set to return to the XI in place of Rohit. However, Shubman Gill will bat at number three while KL Rahul will return to open India alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in the New Year’s Test against Australia.
Contrary to reports, The Indian Express also announced that Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant will retain his place in the team while Prasidh Krishna will replace the injured. Akash Deepwho was dropped from the last Test at the SCG.
Gautam Gambhir holds crucial talks with Jasprit Bumrah at SCG
Gautam Gambhir was seen having a long and serious talk with Jasprit Bumrah while the team was training on the field in Sydney ahead of the New Year Test. Rohit made a brief appearance in the nets where he bowled with a side-arm bowler.
Rohit Sharma was one of the last players to join the practice session and was absent during the usual batting practice at the SCG. Rohit has struggled for runs, averaging 6.2 in his last three Tests in Australia and 10.93 in his last nine Test outings.
