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SYDNEY : India dropped skipper Rohit Sharma but their batting woes continued as they were dismissed for 185 on the opening day of the fifth and final test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
Team India's struggles against the new ball continue in Sydney as the likes of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal fail early to pacers. India seemed to have made some amends as Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill began forming a partnership but the latter departed on the final delivery of the first session, with Nathan Lyon emerging as his wicket-taker. Gill looked solid and decisive with his strokeplay until that delivery from Lyon but slip fielder Steve Smith also deserves credit for unsettling the India star.
Team India's collapse in the second innings of the fourth Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Melbourne left them with almost no chance of qualifying for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. The lost also left the visitors 2-1 down in the ongoing series. India's top-order and middle-order suffered collapses at different stages, ultimately resulting in a 184-run defeat for them. Former India coach Ravi Shastri pointed out the major reason behind India's defeat, and hinted that Rohit Sharma's poor form was playing a major factor.
All speculations proved true on Friday as Rohit Sharma missed the fifth India vs Australia Test in Sydney. Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah won the toss and decided to bat against Pat Cummins' Australia in a Test that will decide India's fate as far as World Test Championship final qualification is concerned. Rohit Sharma scored 31 runs in five innings across three Tests and there was a growing feeling that his end was near.
Former India cricketers Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri feel that the Boxing Day Test might have been Rohit Sharma's final appearance in Test cricket, following his bold call to rest himself for the series finale that began here on Friday. The 37-year-old chose to sit out with the series on the line, having scored only 31 runs in five innings across three Tests. "I think it probably means that (if) India don't qualify for the WTC final, the Melbourne Test will be Rohit Sharma's last game," Gavaskar said during the lunch break on day one.
Several experts were taken aback after India skipper Rohit Sharma 'opted out' of the Playing XI for the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney on Friday. India are being led by star pacer Jasprit Bumrah for the final Test of the five-match series. The hosts have already gained an unassailable 2-1 lead after winning the fourth match in Melbourne by 184 runs. Rohit was facing severe criticism for his poor leadership and batting skills from many former cricketers and fans. Under Bumrah's captaincy, India won the opening Test by 10 wickets and he was handed over the job again for the final game.
Star India batter Virat Kohli earned a valuable lifeline on the opening day of the fifth Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Fans around the world were left shocked after regular skipper Rohit Sharma was rested and star pacer Jasprit Bumrah was named the stand-in captain for the final Test of the five-match series. Opting to bat first, India faced early blows as openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul were sent back with only on the board. After their dismissals, Kohli joined hands with Shubman Gill, where he survived a close call on the very first delivery that he faced.
Rohit Sharma's absence from India's XI against Australia for the fifth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy probably started a new chapter in Indian cricket. After suffering from a poor run of form, Sharma decided to opt out of the Sydney Test. This is probably the first instance of an Indian captain dropping himself from the playing XI owing to poor form, according to Sunil Gavaskar. However, former India star Sanjay Manjrekar, part of the commentary panel for the official broadcasters, was intrigued that there was so little spoken about Rohit's absence at the toss.