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Gautam Gambhir To Drop Rohit Sharma? India's Probable XI For 5th Test vs Australia

Rohit Sharma in Test cricket [Source: @Shebas_10dulkar/x.com]Rohit Sharma in Test cricket [Source: @Shebas_10dulkar/x.com]

India and Australia are all set to take on each other in the fifth match of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. The series currently stands at 2-1 in favour of Australia, and the final game bears much significance for both teams.

Notably, India need to win the last match of the series to keep their contention for the WTC final alive. On the other hand, Australia has three matches left in this WTC cycle, and only a single win will ensure their qualification for the final. Besides, the home team will look to regain the Border Gavaskar Trophy after eight four failed attempts.

At this juncture, the Indian team are thinking of some significant changes in their playing XI for the final match to present a tough competition to the home team. As per the latest reports, Rohit Sharma might not be a part of the team. Who would replace the Indian skipper on the side, and what would the playing XI look like? In this article, we will analyse the same. 

Why India Will Drop Rohit Sharma?

Lack Of Form - Rohit Sharma has not been in the best of forms, especially in the purest format of the game, lately. In the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy, Sharma has closed only 31 runs in five innings at an average of 6.20. The form has been a prime concern for the batter, and hence, to get the best out of the playing XI, the management might look to drop him.

Lack Of Positivity In Captaincy - The Indian team looked at their best in the first series match at Perth. Jasprit Bumrah was seen leading the team in that game and eventually led the team to a win to start the series. However, after that Rohit Sharma has not looked great as a skipper and the team has suffered from the lack of positive captaincy. So, in the future, India might look to bring Bumrah's positive leadership to the table and hence drop Rohit.

Imbalance In The Team - Rohit Sharma's induction in the side has caused a bit of imbalance. The management had to shift the batting line-up to fit the Indian skipper. KL Rahul has technically looked like the team's best batter in the series. India had to move him from his preferred opening spot just to get the best out of Rohit. The lack of form and the inability to deliver have cost the team in the previous three matches, and as a result, the management might look to take this hard decision.

2 Changes Expected In The Playing XI

As per the latest rumours and reports, India will be making two changes for the final match of the series. Rohit Sharma will be replaced by Shubman Gill in the side. Besides Sharma, Akash Deep has also been ruled out from the last match. In that case, Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna might get a go for this all-important match. 

Here is a look at India's Probable XI for the fifth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in SCG - 

India's Probable Playing XI For Sydney Test

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.