Rohit Sharma's Three Options In Do-Or-Die Sydney Test For India's Sake: Step Aside Or...

Standing at the crossroads of his Test career, skipper Rohit Sharma has certain choices to make in the best interests of the Indian team heading into the fifth and final Test against Australia. With the series in line after his team's 184-run drubbing in the Boxing Day Test, the Indian captain might have to field his six best batters at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which will pave the way for Shubman Gill's inclusion in the playing XI after being dropped for the previous game in Melbourne.

With 866 runs in Test cricket in 2024, Gill is second only to Yashasvi Jaiswal in the list of highest scorers among Indian batters in last one year, and one can't blame the elegant player if he is feeling hard done by at being asked to sit out at MCG.

Rohit, though, informed that the team management explained Gill the reasons behind his omission in Melbourne. He was dropped to ensure better balance in the playing XI with Washington Sundar's bowling being an additional advantage.

What are Rohit's options

The question that arises now is how does Rohit accommodate Gill in the playing XI for the Sydney game, which India need to win at all costs to keep alive their slim chances of qualifying for next year's World Test Championship (WTC) Final.

Washington did himself no harm by scoring a 50 and was involved in a crucial hundred- plus stand with centurion Nitish Kumar Reddy. And if his bowling was penetrative enough, he would have certainly bowled more overs.

SCG has traditionally been a track that assists spinners as the match progresses and hence either Washington or Tanush Kotian is certain to play alongside Ravindra Jadeja, unless the skipper develops sudden faith in Jaiswal's leg-breaks and decides to a play the specialist batter (Gill)