Watch: Rohit Sharma's name removed from India's team sheet after heated chat with Gautam Gambhir

Veteran opening batter Rohit Sharma was not included in India's list of reserves for the fifth Test against Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. Rohit Sharma was seen in an animated discussion with head coach Gautam Gambhir before pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah took over the captaincy.

The 37-year-old has struggled for form in the ongoing series, scoring just 31 runs in five innings. Sharma's captaincy also came under criticism after India lost two of the last three Tests in the BGT 2024-25. During the practice session on Thursday, it became evident that Rohit would not be playing in the fifth Test.

BCCI Removes Rohit Sharma from Reserves List for Fifth Test

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the official team sheet moments after the toss in Sydney on Friday, January 3. The team sheet shared did not include Rohit Sharma's name, not even in the reserve players' list. Notably, no official statement was released by the BCCI regarding Rohit's absence.

Shubman Gill and Prasidh Krishna returned to the playing XI for the series finale. Krishna replaced Akash Deep, who was ruled out of the match due to injury. The team sheet included other fit members from the squad: Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, and Harshit Rana.

Rohit not even in the team sheet, woah!!! pic.twitter.com/OjvJjgYJXO

— Rohann (@rohannadhikari) January 2, 2025

Watch: Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir Involved in Animated Chat

Interestingly, Rohit Sharma was seen having an animated discussion with Gautam Gambhir before the start of the New Year's Test. Skipper Jasprit Bumrah said that Rohit decided to rest, but videos show him visibly disturbed while speaking with Gambhir, who responded calmly.

Bumrah, who was part of the conversation, eventually walked out as captain and won the crucial toss. Reports suggest there have been differences between Rohit and Gambhir over selection decisions.

"The Indian Express article for me was just a trigger of the simmering uncertainty..."@beastieboy07 on all the reports coming out of the Indian camp over the last couple of days, and what he's heard... #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/SpX02eLT5q

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) January 2, 2025

The Captain of the Country Does Not Opt Out for a Final - Mark Taylor

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor criticized India's handling of Rohit Sharma's absence from the fifth Test. Speaking on Triple M Cricket, Taylor said that India should be upfront about the situation, stating that Rohit's absence was due to being dropped for this match.

"To be honest, that's once again sidestepping the point. The bottom line is the captain of the country does not opt out for a final deciding Test match of a series. There is no doubt he has been dropped and I don't know why they just don't say it," Taylor said.

"He's been dropped. It doesn't mean he is dropped forever. It means he is missing this Test match because he has been out of form. That's not a crime. That's unfortunately professional sport. That's whats happened and Shubman Gill comes back in," he added.

Rohit's ongoing poor form has been evident since the home series against Bangladesh, where he averaged under 11 in 15 innings and only scored one half-century. The year 2024 has been challenging for him, as he amassed just 619 runs in 26 innings across 14 Tests, with an average of 24.76.

Also read: Rohit Sharma set to announce retirement after Sydney Test? Report reveals truth