Rohit Sharma Likely to Be ‘Rested’ for 5th Test Against Australia; Jasprit Bumrah to Lead
Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is expected to be ‘rested’ for the upcoming fifth Test match against Australia, which starts Thursday in Sydney, according to sources. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will take over as captain in his absence.
Rohit has faced significant struggles in the ongoing five-match Test series, having scored just 31 runs across three matches. He missed the first Test to stay with his family after the birth of his second child, but since rejoining the team, he has yet to make a substantial impact.
Bumrah led the Indian team in the first Test in Perth, where they secured a dominant 295-run victory.
During the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir added fuel to the speculation about Rohit’s participation by providing an unclear response regarding his status. When asked about whether Rohit would play in Sydney, Gambhir stated that the decision would be made based on the pitch conditions.
“Everything is fine with Rohit, and I don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary for him to skip the press conference. The head coach is here, and that should suffice. We’ll assess the pitch and finalize the team tomorrow,” Gambhir told reporters in Sydney.
He further added, “As I said, we’ll take a look at the wicket and announce the playing XI tomorrow. The answer remains the same.”
With India trailing 1-2 in the five-match series and only one game remaining, the Sydney Test is crucial for their hopes of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.
To keep their WTC final aspirations alive, India must win the match and also rely on the outcomes of the upcoming series between Australia and Sri Lanka later this month. The loss to Australia in the Melbourne Test was a major setback, as it shifted control of their WTC fate out of their hands.
