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Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma is likely to be 'rested' for the fifth Test match against Australia starting Thursday 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.
Bumrah led the team in the first Test match in Perth which they won by 295 runs.
Earlier, during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, head coach Gautam Gambhir fueled the speculation by not providing a clear answer regarding Rohit's future. When asked about whether he will play in Sydney, Gambhir said that the decision will be taken keeping the pitch in mind.
"Everything is fine with Rohit and I don't think it's anything traditional (fronting up for the pre-match presser). The head coach is here and that should be good enough. We are going to have a look at the wicket and finalise it tomorrow," Gambhir told reporters in Sydney.
“I just said that we're going to have a look at the wicket and announce a playing XI tomorrow. The answer remains the same,” he added.
With India trailing 1-2 in the five-match series with just one game to go, the Sydney Test holds special significance when it comes to their dreams of reaching the World Test Championship (WTC) Final.
India will have to win the Test match and depend of results from the series between Australia and Sri Lanka later this month. The defeat against Australia in the Melbourne Test was a huge shock to the team as the result took their WTC Final fortune out of their own hands.