NEWS
Follow UsIndia captain Rohit Sharma is not in the playing XI in the fifth and final Test agianst Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). In his absence, Jasprit Bumrah walked out for the toss along with Australia skipper Pat Cummins. The Indian pacer called it right and decided that his side would bat first in overcast conditions at the SCG. India have roped in Shubman Gill in Rohit's place.
Why is Rohit not part of the XI, though?
At the toss, Bumrah said Rohit had opted out of the match, given his poor returns in the series. Rohit, who played the last three Tests, has scored just 31 runs in five innings at an abysmal average of 6.20. "Our captain has shown leadership by opting to rest in this game," Bumrah said.
"That shows there's a lot of unity in this team. There's no selfishness. Whatever is in the team's best interest, we are looking to do that."
Australia lead the five-match series 2-1, following wins in Adelaide and Melbourne. India, on the other hand, won the first Test in Perth, incidentally under Bumrah's leadership.
India need to win this game to stay alive in the hunt to make it to their third consecutive World Test Championship (WTC) final. Even a draw would knock India out of the WTC Final race.
