India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has refrained from confirming whether captain Rohit Sharma will participate in the upcoming final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia currently leads the series 2-1, with India having lost two of the three Tests played since their remarkable victory in the series opener in Perth.

It is worth noting that the victory in Perth was achieved under the leadership of prominent fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The recent defeat in Melbourne, coupled with India's unexpected 3-0 loss at home to New Zealand prior to this series, has resulted in Rohit enduring a winless streak across six Test matches.

In a departure from tradition, Gambhir attended the pre-match press conference instead of Rohit, who typically represents the team in such interactions before matches. When questioned about Rohit's absence, Gambhir assured that "everything is fine" with the 37-year-old and emphasized that the presence of the head coach should suffice.

“Everything is fine with Rohit, and I don't believe this is a matter of tradition. The head coach is present, and that should be adequate. We will assess the wicket and finalize our decisions tomorrow,” stated the former opener.

When further pressed on the issue, Gambhir reiterated, “As I mentioned, we will evaluate the wicket and announce our playing XI tomorrow. The response remains unchanged.”

Rohit's forgettable form

In addition to the decline in his leadership as captain, Rohit is experiencing a significant downturn in his batting performance. Throughout the three series he has participated in during India's current season, two of which took place at home, Rohit accumulated a mere 164 runs over 15 innings, resulting in a concerning average of only 10.93, including just one half-century. Notably, he scored 31 runs during the ongoing tour of Australia, where he achieved only one score in double digits.

Following his disappointing performance in Melbourne, Rohit's average dropped to 6.20, marking the lowest batting average for a touring captain in a Test series in Australia, with a minimum of five innings played. This record was previously held by the West Indies bowling great Courtney Walsh, who averaged only 7.75 during the 1996/97 tour of Australia.

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