India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has confirmed that pacer Akash Deep will miss the fifth and final Test against Australia, scheduled to begin on Friday in Sydney, due to a back injury. Akash, who impressed with five wickets in the first two Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne, has been a key contributor to the Indian bowling attack. Despite his efforts, dropped catches during his spells cost him additional wickets, frustrating both the player and his team.
“Akash Deep is out with a back issue,” Gautam Gambhir stated during the pre-match press conference, officially ruling him out. The 28-year-old pacer has bowled 87.5 overs so far in the series, and the grueling workload on Australia’s challenging pitches seems to have taken its toll. These surfaces are notoriously tough on fast bowlers, often causing injuries to knees, ankles, and backs.
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In Akash’s absence, India will likely turn to either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna to fill the void. Trailing 1-2 in the series, India faces a must-win situation in Sydney to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India’s selection strategy throughout this series has sparked significant debate. In Perth, the decision to bench Ravindra Jadeja and R. Ashwin in favour of Washington Sundar raised eyebrows.
Harshit Rana, who debuted in Perth, struggled to adapt to the demands of consecutive matches and lengthy bowling spells. The curious choices continued in Melbourne, where India fielded three all-rounders—Nitish Kumar Reddy, Jadeja, and Sundar—while dropping Shubman Gill from the No. 3 position. Additionally, the out-of-form Rohit Sharma was promoted to open the innings, displacing the steady KL Rahul and further unsettling the team balance.
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Australia has also made a notable change to their squad. Captain Pat Cummins announced that all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has been excluded due to poor form, with Tasmania’s Beau Webster set to make his Test debut. Marsh has struggled throughout the series, scoring just 73 runs in seven innings and managing only three wickets from 33 overs. “We have one change: Beau Webster replaces Mitch Marsh. Mitch knows he hasn’t scored enough runs,” Cummins explained.
As Australia aims to reclaim the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since the 2014/15 series, both teams are set for an intense final showdown in Sydney.
