The Indian cricket team will play against Australia in the fifth and final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) series at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3 onwards. Following a tough loss for India in Melbourne in the fourth Test last month, they need to win the fifth and final Test match, to level the series 2-2, which will help them retain the BGT once again versus Australia.
In the aftermath of the Melbourne Test defeat, Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, addressed the press ahead of the BGT decider, and hasn’t confirmed the involvement of captain Rohit Sharma in the playing XI following a string of poor performances with the bat and in the leadership role. If the skipper is indeed dropped from the Sydney Test, it is highly likely that Shubman Gill takes his spot after a string of good performances last year in the longest format of the game.
In this article, SportsTiger looks at India’s probable playing XI versus Australia for the fifth Test at the SCG in Sydney.
Openers: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul
Yashasvi Jaiswal was exceptional with the bat for India in both the innings, scoring two contrasting 80s, to keep the team in the contest till the final session on day five of the Melbourne Test. KL Rahul didn’t have the best of outings at the MCG, a decade after making his international debut at the same venue, getting dismissed for no score in the second innings on day five in the fourth Test of the ongoing BGT series.
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Middle Order: Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk)
Shubman Gill has been intent on scoring runs quickly in the two appearances in the ongoing BGT series, which has led to him putting together a couple of nice 20s and 30s before finding a way to get out from absolutely nowhere. Virat Kohli was in the midst of one of his most fluent innings of the series during India’s response to Australia’s imposing first innings total in Melbourne before a lapse of concentration led to his untimely dismissal, and the same pattern repeated in the second innings.
Rishabh Pant played two contrasting innings at the MCG against Australia in the fourth Test, but on both the occasions, a big shot led to his downfall, and his second innings dismissal led to an Indian batting collapse, which they didn’t manage to recover from.
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All-Rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar
Ravindra Jadeja delivered an improved performance with the ball in Melbourne in comparison to Brisbane, but he wasn’t able to replicate his heroics with the bat in the fourth BGT Test. Nitish Kumar Reddy was the shining light for India at the MCG, bringing up his first international hundred, to keep India in the contest, and due to his innings, the 21-year-old has probably cemented a spot for himself in the playing XI.
Washington Sundar was left stranded at the non-striker’s during India’s second innings when they were trying to earn a draw in the final session on day five in Melbourne, but regardless, his defensive style of batting was quite difficult for Australia to penetrate through.
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Bowlers: Harshit Rana, Jasprit Bumrah (c), Mohammed Siraj
Akash Deep has been ruled out of the fifth and final BGT Test in Sydney due to a back issue, so it is highly likely that Harshit Rana takes his place in the playing XI. Jasprit Bumrah was once again quite exceptional with the ball in the series, picking nine Australian wickets in Melbourne, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings, to keep the Indian cricket team in the contest, and he will leading the side if Rohit Sharma is dropped from the playing XI in Sydney Test.
Mohammed Siraj wasn’t at his best in the Australian first innings in Melbourne, which allowed the hosts to put a big total on the board, but he improved drastically with the ball in the second innings.
