India drop Rohit Sharma for the fifth Test in Sydney

Indian captain Rohit Sharma has reportedly dropped himself on the eve of the fifth Test against Australia.

The Indian Express has reported that Rohit is being “rested” for the SCG Test after the making the call to “opt out”.

Sharma, 37, was replaced by coach Gautam Gambhir for the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

He cut a dejected and disinterested figure while India practised in the nets, and had a token hit at the end where he let go throw-downs that easily hit the stumps. He was then not in the slips during the team’s fielding session.

Shubman Gill – who was seen getting congratulated by his teammates on Thursday — will come back into the team after he was dropped for the Boxing Day Test.

Gill will bat at No.3 and KL Rahul will open the innings.

During the telling fielding session, veteran Virat Kohli was in Rohit’s usual place at first slip, KL Rahul was at second, and Nitish Kumar Reddy at third, while Shubman Gill was taking catches at slip for a spinner.

Rohit was seen having tense conversations with Gambhir on Thursday.

While the Indian Express said that Rohit made the decision, other reports out of India suggested he was simply dumped.

The Times of India reported that he was dropped, and another report by PTI said an “influential cricket administrator” had tried to force the hand of Gambhir so Rohit could play, but the coach was standing firm.

The decision comes amid widespread reports of tension with the Indian side.

Rohit has struggled massively in Australia.

He is yet to pass 10 in any of his five innings this series, with the run of failures also coming off the back of a poor showing against New Zealand.

Jasprit Bumrah is expected to take the captaincy after he led India to a convincing victory in the Perth Test.

Rohit missed that Test — the only one India have won during this series — as he remained in India while his wife gave birth to their second child.

Indian quick Akash Deep is also out of the SCG Test with a bad back, with seamer Prasidh Krishna to come into the side.

The fifth Test begins on Friday, January 3 and is scheduled to run through to Tuesday, January 7.

Seven’s live and free coverage kicks off at 9.30am AEDT each day ahead of the first ball at 10.30am AEDT.

With Australia leading the series 2-1, India need to win the Pink Test to hold on to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (as the reigning champions they maintain the trophy if the series is tied).

If Australia win or draw, they will reclaim the trophy for the first time in 10 years.

AUSTRALIA: Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.

INDIA: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.