In a surprising turn of events, Rohit Sharma’s name was absent from India’s official team sheet for the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at the SCG in Sydney. The announcement came shortly after the toss, where Jasprit Bumrah led India in Rohit’s absence. According to Bumrah, Rohit had opted to rest for the series finale, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not issued an official statement explaining the decision.
Despite the absence of any public explanation, the team sheet shared within the official WhatsApp group included 16 members, but not Rohit’s name. Even more puzzling, he was not listed among the reserve players, with names like Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Harshit Rana appearing instead. The only other player missing from the list was pacer Akash Deep, who was reportedly injured.
Speculation regarding Rohit’s exclusion began after an animated conversation between him, coach Gautam Gambhir, and Bumrah before the match. Rohit, who had struggled with form in the series, scoring just 31 runs across five innings, decided to sit out after a disappointing year in Test cricket. His struggles, including difficulty executing his signature shots, seemed to contribute to his decision.
Rohit’s omission has also fueled rumors about his future in the longest format of the game. With the 2024 season being his least productive in Test cricket, scoring just 619 runs in 26 innings, it remains uncertain whether this will mark the end of his roller-coaster Test career.
Meanwhile, India’s batting troubles continued as they faced early setbacks in the Sydney Test, with both KL Rahul and Yashavi Jaiswal falling early, followed by a costly mistake from Shubman Gill.
