Australia has shown more confidence in the current Border-Gavaskar Trophy series by announcing their playing XIs a day ahead of the matches. On Thursday, Pat Cummins shared the lineup for the fifth and final Test, which kicks off on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Meanwhile, speculation about the Indian team intensified on Thursday following head coach Gautam Gambhir's somewhat cryptic pre-match press conference.

India's tough choices for team selection...

India is facing a tough decision as they head into the final Test, aiming to even the series and keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The big question is about captain Rohit Sharma's spot in the lineup for the Sydney match. At 37, he’s had a rough time lately, managing only 164 runs in the last three series with a disappointing average of just over 10. This has led to discussions about possibly dropping him for this crucial Test, which could be a turning point in his career. Gambhir didn’t give much away, suggesting that the conditions in Sydney will influence the final team selection. However, a report from The Indian Express mentioned that Rohit might have chosen to "rest" for this match.

Another issue for the team is Rishabh Pant's position. He was expected to be a key player during the Australia tour, hoping to replicate his impressive performance from the 2020/21 series. Unfortunately, he’s only managed 154 runs in seven innings this time around, averaging just 22 and without any scores over fifty.

On top of that, India has concerns in the bowling department, especially with fast bowler Akash Deep reportedly injured. They might need to bring in an extra seamer to lighten Jasprit Bumrah's load, which means one of Washington Sundar or Ravindra Jadeja could find themselves sitting out.

India's probable lineup against Australia in Sydney

Rohit is expected to take a break, which means Shubman Gill, who missed out on the Melbourne Test due to India's lineup strategy, will step back in at No. 3. KL Rahul is set to return as an opener. This also means that Bumrah, who played a key role in India's big win in Perth, will take over as the captain in Sydney.

Gambhir is likely to rest Sundar and bring in Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna for the final Test.

India's probable XI at SCG: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna.

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