India captain Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the playing XI for the Sydney Test against Australia, which starts tomorrow (Friday).
The decision comes after a long period of poor form in Test cricket. Despite returning to captain the team after missing the first Test due to the birth of his second child, Sharma has struggled to make an impact in recent matches.
Rohit, who initially opted to bat in the middle order for the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests, switched to opening the batting in Melbourne, a decision that led to Shubman Gill being dropped. However, Sharma’s form continued to deteriorate, which affected his batting and decisions.
At 37, Rohit’s place in the Test side was already under scrutiny, and the decision to exclude him from the final match of the series was expected. As reported Times of India Last week, his recent performances did not guarantee a place in the starting XI, and management took the bold step of excluding him from the Sydney Test.
Rohit has amassed just 31 runs in five innings during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, at an average of just 6.20. His form since the start of 2024 has also been disappointing, with him scoring just 619 runs from 14 matches at an average of 24.76, including two centuries and two fifties.
Since his 103-run knock against England in March 2024, Rohit has struggled for consistency, scoring just 154 runs from 15 innings at an average of 10.26.
In particular, Rohit missed the pre-match press conference, and his absence from the limelight increased speculation about his future. Meanwhile, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah looked set to lead the team in what is expected to be Rohit’s last Test match for India.
Under Bumrah’s captaincy, India registered a dominant 295-run win in the series opener, but subsequent matches did not produce the same results. With the change of leadership, India will hope to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in the final.
Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will return to the top of the standings, while Shubman Gill will occupy the third spot. Prasidh Krishna is expected to replace the injured Akash Deb, and it remains to be seen whether Mohammed Siraj will get another chance or not. If Harshit Rana is included in the team.