After a huge 184-run defeat in the crucial fourth Test in Melbourne, the Indian cricket team will look to make a comeback in the fifth and last match of the eventful 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Both teams are expected to make changes to their playing elevens for the fifth Test in Sydney starting on January 3.
The focus will be on the Indian team as Rohit Sharma's men have struggled to find their best XI throughout the tour. Washington Sundar replaced Shubman Gill in India's playing eleven for the Boxing Day Test which came as a surprise for the fans.
Indian fans can expect one or two changes to the playing XI for the New Year's Test and might witness Shubman Gill returning to the action. Gill has struggled to impress in the ongoing Australia tour with just 60 runs in three innings but he is not the only one to blame for India's poor show.
Due to the pace-friendly nature of the wicket at Sydney Cricket Ground, Gill is expected to replace one of the spinners. Both Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar struggled to make an impact with a ball in Melbourne but Sundar made an impression with a bat to prove his team selection.
If Gill makes his comeback, then he is likely to play in his regular No.3 position, forcing KL Rahul back to his No.6 spot in the playing eleven. KL Rahul had to vacant an opening spot for Rohit Sharma in the last match and is expected to be pushed further down the order due to his versatility.
Jadeja has scored just one fifty and has taken four wickets in three innings in the ongoing series. The management is likely to go with three fast-bowling options, Nitish Reddy as a pace all-rounder and Sundar as a sole spinner ahead of Jadeja in the Sydney Test.
It will be interesting to see if the management gives any playing chance to Prasidh Krishna, who is the only fast bowler who is yet to make India's playing XI in this tour. Akash Deep has been ruled out with a back injury and is likely to be replaced by Prasidh in the Sydney Test.
India's predicted playing XI for 5th Test vs Australia
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
India squad
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rohit Sharma (c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Akash Deep, Tanush Kotian, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Devdutt Padikkal, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana.
