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India will bat first in the must-win fifth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the SCG, with new captain Jasprit Bumrah winning the toss.
Bumrah’s presence officially confirmed that skipper Rohit Sharma will indeed be sidelined in Sydney, after the story broke the day before the match that he had pulled out of the match amid a miserable run of form.
With fast bowler Akash Deep ruled out due to a back injury, the visitors made two changes, with Shubman Gill replacing Sharma and Prasidh Krishna coming in for his third Test as the third seamer.
Speaking at the toss, Bumrah praised Sharma for his selfless decision to step down.
“Obviously our captain showed leadership – he chose to rest in this game,” he said.
“It shows that there is a lot of unity in our team – there is no selfishness. Whatever is in the best interest of the team, we seek to do.
Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed the hosts’ only change, with all-rounder Beau Webster coming on for his Test debut at the expense of Mitchell Marsh.
While the SCG pitch looked unusually green before the match, former great Mark Waugh described it as a “good toss to lose” for Cummins, while Steve Smith thinks the wicket is “greener than I never seen him.”
Cummins, however, said during the toss that he would have chosen to bat as well.
