The Indian team has several tough decisions to make before taking part in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney. This is a must-win match for India, not only to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for a record fifth time, but also to keep alive their hopes of having a chance of qualifying for the Championship final World Test Championship (WTC) 2025. When asked before the match whether Indian skipper Rohit Sharma would retain his place, head coach Gautam Gambhir remained tight-lipped, saying a final call would only be taken only after seeing the field on the day of the test.
Rohit Sharma’s place in the playing XI is under scrutiny, and it is very possible that the captain will step down for the final Test, handing over the reins to Jasprit Bumrah. Rohit scored just 31 runs in five innings, failing to contribute in the middle and top order.
If Rohit is dropped, Shubman Gill could return to the XI. In this case, KL Rahul would return to open the batting, a formula that has worked well for India in the first three Tests.
Another rumored change is that Rishabh Pant might be dropped for Dhruv Jurel. Pant endured an inconsistent series, failing to score a single fifty. After bowing out thanks to two impeccable shots in the fourth Test, a report from The Indian Express suggests that Pant could be left out in favor of Jurel. It will be a bold call as Pant is undoubtedly India’s first Test wicketkeeper in a long time.
A change is guaranteed. Gambhir confirmed that pacer Akash Deep suffered a back problem and was ruled out of the fifth Test. Harshit Rana could therefore return to the side. India could also go for Prasidh Krishna, but Rana has more experience in Australian conditions.
Although Virat Kohli is not in the best side and Washington Sundar is not used enough with the ball, both players are likely to retain their place in the team. Pacer Mohammed Siraj has also suffered from patchy form, but India are unlikely to change their pace attack too much with Akash Deep already out.
India’s predicted XI for the Sydney Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Dhruv Jurel (semaine), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Excluded: Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Akash Deep (blessure)
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