As India continues to struggle in the series, the pressure is mounting on Rohit to rediscover his rhythm and lead from the front.
Captain Pat Cummins reflected on the significance of this Christmas gathering, highlighting the strong bond within the Australian cricket team.
The skipper, however, lamented that his team often stood at the receiving end of such decisions.
both Kohli and Rohit have struggled to find their best form, attracting scrutiny following India's recent 0-3 series loss against New Zealand.
Will India drop Rohit for the Sydney Test and put Kohli on notice? Or will the team management grant the senior pros a final chance to redeem themselves?
Akash Deep and Jasprit Bumrah saved India the blushes in the Brisbane Test with a resolute 10th wicket partnership but the rookie pacer on Sunday said his focus was on a wholesome contribution to the team rather than looking to "merely save the follow-on".
Nitish Reddy's remarkable maiden Test century on Day 3 in the fourth Test against Australia helped India keep the first innings deficit to 105 runs, which could have been in excess of 200 after the visitors were reduced to 221 for 7 in reply to the hosts' 474 at one stage.
upon review, third umpire Saikat adjudged that there was a deflection off Jaiswal's gloves/bat based on the visual evidence.
'There is no substitute for hard work. The relentless effort behind the scenes translates into success on the field. The Indian bowlers are ticking every box as we get ready for the Boxing Day Test.'
Fans passed 'rude' comments during the Indian team's nets in Adelaide on Wednesday.
Images from Day 1 of the fifth Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
Travis Head played down concerns over his fitness after appearing to struggle with a potential groin issue
Watching India and Australia compete in the series-deciding fifth Test was some experience for the 54-year-old American tennis legend.
All the action from Day 4 at the Australian Open on Wednesday
Defeat was a blow for the 21-year-old Spaniard as the French Open and Wimbledon champion's bid to become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam went up in flames, and he was left to digest his third loss to Djokovic on the surface.
Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has apologised to Novak Djokovic and fans of the Serbian for comments he made on TV on Friday night.
Pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and the others found it difficult to generate the expected bounce on the used pitches. Reports indicate that deliveries barely rose waist-high, even when the bowlers hit the deck hard.
Batting maestro Virat Kohli hogged the front pages with the Hindi headline Yugon Li Ladai (Fight For The Ages), while young batting sensation Yashasvi Jaiswal was hailed as Navam Raja (The New King) in Punjabi.
Jaiswal has made a reputation as one of the most ferocious Test openers in a long time, capable of scoring fast and big both.
The opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw its share of thrilling moments, the stump mic provided a unique insight into the intensity within the Indian camp.
Will Rohit Sharma get one final opportunity to salvage his Test career?
History has not seen a cricketing rivalry as fierce as this this century, every ball bowled every run taken, coming with no quarter given. Ahead of India's five Test tour of Australia, Norma Astrid Godinho/Rediff.com takes a walk down memory lane, recounting India's sojourns Down Under from 1947 to 2021, in a 4-part series.
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has attributed the national team's defeat in the fourth Test in Melbourne to 'poor shot selection on either side of the middle session' on Day 5.
Selectors will likely opt for another batter to cover for all-rounder Green in the India series and possibly an opener if Steve Smith is restored to the number four spot.
An unnamed senior player, who has projected himself as 'Mr. Fix-It,' is said to harbour doubts about the readiness of younger teammates to assume leadership roles.
Former India batter Yuvraj Singh believes players struggling for form should return to domestic cricket, regardless of their national team stature, amid the debate over Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma playing Ranji Trophy.
The seeds of India's defeat were sown in Melbourne, where Bumrah had to bowl 53.2 overs -- 24.4 in the second innings on the back of 28.4 in the first innings. With just three days to recover, that was an inhuman burden on a bowler who had bowled 151 overs in this series.
Hazlewood's inclusion is the only change to the home side who will look to take a 2-1 lead in the five-Test series.
Lavishing praise on young Sam Konstas, former opener David Warner has urged Australia's senior players to adopt a similar aggressive approach when facing Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah
Virat Kohli and Steve Smith will be "dangerous" and "hungry" for runs in the remaining two Tests
He warned the players that failure to follow his game plans would result in them being dropped from the team.
It was a frustrating day for the loyal crowd of 16,180 but perhaps more so for the home team, whose chances of forcing a result were progressively eroded.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner dismissed eighth seed Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open semi-finals and extend the country's decades-long wait for another homegrown singles winner at the Grand Slam on Wednesday.
'The captain of a country doesn't opt out of the final Test match of a series, a final-deciding Test match.'
Rohit emphasised the importance of keeping net sessions private to maintain focus and strategise effectively.
Teenager Konstas to make debut in fourth Test against India
K L Rahul's embarrassing dismissal was the talking point as India A's top batters flopped once again in the second innings of the second unofficial Test against Australia A.
'Who'll tell him that the bigger problems lie elsewhere?'
Carlos Alcaraz kept his Indian Wells 'three-peat' campaign on track with a straight sets win against Canadian Denis Shapovalov in the third round.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Test played at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday.
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