Bumrah leads India as Rohit chooses 'to rest' in Sydney

India captain Rohit Sharma has" chosen to rest" from the fifth Test of the Border- Gavaskar jewel, according to Jasprit Bumrah who'll lead the platoon in Sydney. Shubman Gill replaced Rohit in the XI and will niche in at No. 3. The issue of the change in leadership wasn't addressed directly at the toss at the SCG, with Bumrah only saying" Our captain has shown his leadership as well, he has chosen to rest from this game. It shows the concinnity within the platoon."

Bumrah had captained India to palm in the first Test of the series in Perth when Rohit was on maternity leave. Rohit had been a supplemental presence as India went through their final medications ahead of the first ball in Sydney. He and the rest of the platoon arrived at the ground at 9 am but it was not till 15 twinkles latterly that he stepped onto the outfield at the SCG. By that time, Bumrah had gone up to the pitch, got through a spot- bowling routine and checked in with Gautam Gambhir.

Rohit stepped onto the ground at 9.15 am. He too made a beeline for the pitch, bending down and pressing his hands into it. He played a bit of football with Sarfaraz Khan and Rishabh Pant. He was conspicuously quiet at the platoon huddle with Gambhir and Virat Kohli doing the talking. Eventually he left the field at 9.40 am after the toss. The reserve players and the support staff lined up on the edge of the boundary for the public chorales but Rohit was not with them. Enterprise around his place in the platoon began after India lost the fourth Test in Melbourne, where he made scores of 3 and 9, as reports surfaced that he was planning to retire from the format at the end of the series.

On the dusk of the fifth Test, India trainer Gautam Gambhir didn't confirm or deny whether Rohit would play in Sydney- the only said the XI would be decided after taking a look at the pitch. Rohit didn't have as active a training session as some of his platoon- mates.