Rohit Sharma may have played last match in whites, To miss Sydney Test: Sources

Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to be 'rested' for the fifth Test match against Australia starting on Friday in Sydney, according to sources. Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the side in his absence. Rohit has struggled massively in the ongoing five-match Test series as he has scored just 31 runs in three matches. He missed the first Test match as he decided to stay back with his family following the birth of his second child. However, since joining the side, he has failed to score big.

Rohit, who has featured in 67 Tests for India, might not don the whites for the national team again. “The fourth Test in Melbourne may well have been Rohit’s last in Test cricket. Unless the BCCI intervenes and requests him to play one final time, the decision is unlikely to change,” the source said.

Shubman Gill is set to replace Rohit in the XI and will bat at No. 3. KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal are expected to take up the opening slots for the series finale.

Rohit Sharma made only a cameo appearance in India's final training session ahead of the Test match in Sydney. On the eve of the big game, Rohit was seen more talking to the coaches, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, and Bumrah. He did not train at the nets with the first batch of his teammates, which included Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. He was absent from the slip cordon during a caching practice session.

The development comes after coach Gambhir refused to confirm Rohit's place in the XI while addressing the press on the eve of the Test match. Contrary to tradition, the coach, and not the captain, addressed the media on Thursday at the SCG.

"Everything is fine with Rohit. I don't think it's a tradition. The head coach is here. That should be fine, that should be good enough. I am going to have a look at the wicket and finalise it tomorrow," Gambhir said.

Meanwhile, India will be without fast bowler Akash Deep for the fifth and final Test. The Bengal pacer was ruled out with a back injury. Either Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana will replace Akash.

Notably, Harshit played the first two Tests in Perth and Adelaide before he was dropped for Akash. Prasidh last played a test in South Africa in January last year.

India will look to put behind the stormy lead up and win the series finale in Sydney. If the series ends in a 2-2 draw, India will walk away with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy as they are the current holders of the coveted silverware.