Under pressure Indian team seems to be confused about playing XI for the crucial Sydney Test, starting on January 3. While the Indian Test captain is in doubt for the Sydney Test, his Test career future has just been revealed by some media reports.

The hosts Australia and the visitors India are busy in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025-24, a five-match Test series. At the end of the four Tests, the hosts have taken a 2-1 lead in the series, as they can’t lose the series. The baggy greens are dreaming of winning their first Test series against India since the 2016-17 season. Australia previously won the Test series against India in the 2014-15 season at home. 

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Rohit Sharma was absent in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2025-24 opener

India started the Test series under Jasprit Bumrah’s leadership, as the skipper Rohit Sharma was on parental leave. India won the Test series opener in Perth by 295 runs. Sharma joined the team before the second Test (returned to the team during the first Test of the series) and restarted his Test leadership role from the second Test. Australia won the second Test in Adelaide by 10 wickets, which was a day-night pink-ball Test match. The Sharma-led Indian team drew the rain-disturbed Brisbane Test but lost the Melbourne Test by 184 runs. 

In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Sharma scored 3, 6, and 10 runs in the middle-order and 3 and 9 runs as an opener. 

The Sydney Test is the must-win game for India, not only to save the away Test series and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but also to stay in contention for the third straight final appearance in the ICC World Test Championship. Even a draw result in the Sydney Test will take away India’s last little hope of qualifying for the WTC Final in the running cycle (2023-2025).

Rohit Sharma unlikely to play the Sydney Test

Understanding the present situation in the Indian team, captain Rohit Sharma is unlikely to play in the last Test of the series in Sydney. So, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to captain the Indian team in the Test series finale. 

According to some media reports, although Rohit Sharma is set to miss the Sydney Test, he is unlikely to retire from Test cricket at present. Only time will tell whether he will play more Test cricket or not.