With Rohit Sharma set to be dropped from the fifth and deciding Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney because of poor form, it will be the first instance involving an Indian captain.
As Timesofindia.com reported, India will go in with Jasprit Bumrah as captain, just as they had for the first Test in Perth when Rohit was unavailable while on paternity leave.
Rohit came into the XI for the next three Tests, but batted at No. 6 in Adelaide and Brisbane, before returning to the opening slot for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. However, in none of those outings he could rediscover his batting form, aggregating just 31 runs in five innings for an average of 6.20, which is the worst ever by a visiting captain in Australia.
While chief coach Gautam Gambhir chose to be tight-lipped when asked if Rohit will play, Timesofindia.com can report that the skipper will not be part of the side come Friday morning.
That effectively means KL Rahul will come back as opener with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shubman Gill returning to the eleven at No. 3 after being dropped for the fourth Test.
“Everything is fine with Rohit, and I don’t think it’s anything traditional,” Gambhir said when asked about the captain not coming for the pre-match press conference. “The head coach is here, and that should be good enough,” he added.
The coach also said that the decision on the final playing XI will be taken on the morning of the match.
Here are the past instances of captains getting dropped in international cricket mid-series:
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan) – 2014 ODI series vs Australia: Misbah dropped himself from the third ODI and Shahid Afridi captained in his place
Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka) – 2014 T20 World Cup: Chandimal took the decision to sit out the team’s last three matches, including the semi-final and final, handing over captaincy to Lasith Malinga.
Mike Denness (England) – 1974 Ashes: He opted out of the playing XI for the fourth Test, with John Edrich leading the team.
Rohit Sharma (India) – 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit is set to be dropped from the Sydney Test, with Jasprit Bumrah to lead the team.
(Stats Courtesy: Rajesh Kumar)
