India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, has been dropped from the playing XI for the Sydney Test against Australia, which begins tomorrow (Friday).
The decision comes after a prolonged period of poor form in Test cricket. Despite returning to lead the team after missing the first Test due to the birth of his second child, Sharma has struggled to make an impact in recent matches.
Rohit, who initially chose to bat in the middle order for the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests, shifted to open the batting in Melbourne, a decision that led to Shubman Gill being dropped. However, Sharma’s form continued to deteriorate, affecting both his batting and decision-making.
At 37, Rohit’s place in the Test side was already under scrutiny, and the decision to leave him out of the final match of the series was anticipated. As reported by Times of India last week, his recent performances did not warrant a place in the playing XI, and the management took the bold step of excluding him for the Sydney Test.
Rohit has accumulated just 31 runs in five innings during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, averaging a mere 6.20. His form since the start of 2024 has also been disappointing, with only 619 runs from 14 matches at an average of 24.76, including two centuries and two fifties.
Since his 103-run knock against England in March 2024, Rohit has struggled to find consistency, scoring only 154 runs from 15 innings at an average of 10.26.
Rohit, notably, skipped the pre-match press conference, and his absence from the limelight further added to speculation about his future. Meanwhile, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah appeared set to lead the side in what is expected to be Rohit’s last Test match for India.
Under Bumrah’s leadership, India secured a dominant 295-run victory in the series opener, but subsequent matches did not yield the same results. With the leadership change, India will be hopeful of retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the final game.
KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will return to the top of the order, while Shubman Gill will bat at No. 3. Prasidh Krishna is expected to replace the injured Akash Deep, and it remains to be seen whether Mohammed Siraj will be given another chance or if Harshit Rana will be included in the squad.
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