Rohit Sharma's Spot in Danger? Gambhir Uncertain About Captain's Place in Sydney Test Playing XI

Rohit Sharma is unlikely to feature in the India vs Australia 5th Test match. In a crucial series decider, India’s coach Gautam Gambhir may have had to make one of the most unenviable decisions in the world of cricket. There have been some rumours regarding the row in the dressing room and Gambhir decided to call a press conference for the second time since he has taken the charge as the head coach in Sydney.

The Indian captain has been in such poor form that even bowlers like Akash Deep and Nathan Lyon have scored more runs than him. Rohit has struggled for form in the last fifteen innings where he has only managed to score 164 runs at an average of 10.93. It has got so bad that there have been rumours of him resigning as captain even before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 is over.

Gautam Gambhir may have also add fuel to the fire and create more doubt regarding Rohit Sharma’s spot in the squad. During a press conference, the Indian head coach was asked if Rohit would feature in the match in Sydney and the coach did not give a straight answer. Instead, Gambhir said,” We will take the Playing XI call after looking at the pitch tomorrow,” thus creating confusion as to the situation of both the fans and the players.

GAUTAM GAMBHIR TALKING ABOUT ROHIT SHARMA IN TODAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE. (OneCricket).pic.twitter.com/wZRtqMmBbn

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) January 2, 2025

"Everything is fine with Rohit Sharma. I don't think it's anything traditional, I think the Head Coach is here that should be fine and that should be good enough." he added.

The only confirmed update about Team India’s lineup for the final match of the India vs Australia Test series is that Akash Deep has been ruled out due to a back spasm. However, other than this, Gautam Gambhir made no remarks on the team selection. This has created a notion that Jasprit Bumrah can come back into the squad as a captain for the Sydney Test. Bumrah, who was instrumental in India’s win in Perth, has been the captaincy frontrunner for the Sydney match. With doubts over Rohit Sharma’s spot in the playing XI, there is a possibility that a permanent leadership change could happen.