Border-Gavaskar trophy: Pressure mounts as India try to strike a balance between winning fifth test and phasing out old guard
Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India could have come to Sydney with a 1-1 scoreline, but one bad session in Melbourne cost them the fourth Test to make it 2-1 in favour of Australia.
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This Test, however, is more than just a scoreline. It holds immense significance for the future trajectory of Indian cricket, signalling the beginning of the transition that’s been talked about for months now. The churn is set to begin here in Sydney.
Consider these observations from India’s training session: Captain Rohit Sharma did not practice slip catching, even as others did; his brief batting stint was limited to taking throwdowns; head coach Gautam Gambhir didn’t confirm whether Rohit would be in the playing XI despite being specifically asked in the press conference. Even if Rohit plays, which seems unlikely, it could potentially be his last game as India’s Test captain.
His likely successor, Jasprit Bumrah, was noticeably proactive at the nets and spent considerable time speaking to Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar. India’s only win on this tour so far in Perth came under Bumrah’s leadership, solidifying his position as natural heir to the red-ball captaincy.
Another noteworthy observation from the nets was Dhruv Jurel’s extended batting session, closely monitored by the head coach. While there is no indication that Rishabh Pant
