India captain Rohit Sharma has reportedly opted out of the Playing XI for the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia.
In his absence, vice-captain and star pacer Jasprit Bumrah will lead the team in the series finale, starting Friday, January 3, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
The 37-year-old skipper was notably absent from the pre-match press conference, which was instead addressed by head coach Gautam Gambhir.
With Rohit unavailable, KL Rahul will return to his role as opener alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal—a position where the Karnataka batter has excelled throughout the series.
According to reports, Shubman Gill, dropped for the fourth Test due to poor form, will be reinstated in the XI as Rohit steps back. Reports suggest Rohit took limited participation in training and batting drills ahead of the crucial SCG match.
During the presser, Gambhir mentioned that the team would finalize its lineup after inspecting the pitch at the toss. However, indications strongly point toward Rohit’s exclusion.
Australia, meanwhile, has confirmed its lineup, opting to rest all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Beau Webster, a like-for-like replacement, will make his Test debut, becoming the third Australian debutant in the series after Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas.
Australia Playing XI for the 5th Test:
Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.