Looks like things are not looking up from an Indian point of view after the debacle at Melbourne. Is there a rift between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma ? If that is the case as multiple reports are suggesting could be catastrophic from an Indian point of view ahead of the fifth and final Test at Sydney. An Indian Express report claims that Gambhir wanted veteran Cheteshwar Pujara in the side, but the selectors led by Ajit Agarkar did not want it. Reports had earlier claimed that Rohit did not like playing at No. 6 during the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests. When you add all this up, it seems like there is a divide in the team itself. 

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With an average of 10.93 in his last 15 innings, Rohit Sharma is no longer among India’s best batters. 

PUJARA – INDIA’S WALL DOWN UNDER

In the 2018-19 series Down Under, Pujara was the leading run-getter with 521 runs off 1258 balls and was once again the pillar of Indian batting three years later when he amassed 271 runs off 928 balls. Pujara did well to tire the bowlers down successfully in Australia, something no Indian batter in Australia has been able to do. 

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Since the 2023 World Test Championship final at the Kia Oval where India lost to Australia, Pujara, who has featured in over 100 Tests, has not played a single international Test. 

WHAT LIES AHEAD?

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar is with the team and he is likely to have a hard-talk with Rohit and Gambhir once the fifth Test is over. Rohit would be hoping he gets amongst the runs in Sydney and silences his critics.