Gautam Gambhir turned down the request to include Rohit Sharma in the playing XI, prioritizing India's victory in the Sydney Test and their chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma made the decision to opt out of the 5th and final Test against Australia. Stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah chose to bat first at SCG on Friday, leading to India making two changes in the team lineup. Shubman Gill replaced Rohit Sharma, while Prasidh Krishan took the place of the injured Akash Deep.

There was a time when Gautam Gambhir wanted Rohit Sharma to become the white-ball captain of Team India. Rohit joined the leadership group in 2017 but had to wait for another 4 years to become the full-time white-ball captain.