Rohit Sharma to quit Test cricket after Border Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney: Report

As per reports, Rohit is likely to retire at the end of the five-match Test series between India and Australia.

India, who are now trailing the hosts 1-2, will play their fifth and last Test against Australia in Sydney. The match will be held on January 3-7.

As per the points table, India, who were defeated by Australia in the fourth Test by 184 runs, can only qualify for the World Test Championship final if they win the Sydney contest and Australia fail to register a single victory in their upcoming two-match Sri Lanka series.

If India qualify for the WTC final, Rohit may convince the selectors to allow him to play the closing match next year, reports suggest.

Rohit, who had skipped the inaugural Test in Perth, has so far scored only 31 runs in five innings, raising questions on his batting ability at the age of 37.

"As far as Rohit is concerned, it's a call. At the top of the order, you know, just feel the footwork isn't the same. He's probably at times, late in meeting the ball so it's his call at the end of the series," said cricket great and former India head coach, Ravi Shastri.

India have suffered multiple batting collapses in their Australia tour with the senior batters failing to fire on most occasions.

While Virat Kohli slammed a hundred in Perth and got a few starts elsewhere, India's vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah has been sensational with his bowling picking 30 wickets so far in the high-voltage series.

Rohit, who quit the shortest format of the sport soon after winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year, has never looked in touch against the mighty Aussie bowling unit that picked seven wickets in the final session on day five in Melbourne on Monday to take the 2-1 lead.

"I stand where I am standing today - Few results didn't go our way as a captain and batter it is disappointing," Rohit said. "Mentally it's disturbing but as of now that is where it is, there are things we as a team and I need to look at."

How did India suffer a crushing defeat in the Boxing Day Test?

India's top and middle order batting collapse continued even in the crucial second innings of the fourth Test, powering Australia to take a 2-1 lead in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, bagging the Boxing Day Test by 184 runs in front of a record crowd at MCG in Melbourne on Monday.

Australia bowled out India for a mere 155 with over 10 overs to spare with a clinical bowling led by captain Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc to win the fourth Test in the five-match series.

India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant's sudden bid to play a lofty shot in the middle of his defensive innings cost him his wicket that offered Australia a golden opportunity to return to the match, which was held by the tourists in the mid-season.

Pant, who was rebuked by cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar for allegedly throwing his wicket at a crucial juncture in the first innings, partnered Yashasvi Jaiswal after Australia bagged the vital wicket of iconic batter Virat Kohli at the stroke of lunch on day five.

Pant's love for strokes once again cost him his wicket as the wicketkeeper-batter fell in the trap of part-time bowler Travis Head who tempted him to go for a big shot to only get caught in the deep.

The southpaw's exit at 30 from 104 balls (two fours) was followed to the change room by Jaiswal, who was controversially given out by third umpire after suffering a heartbreaking runout due to misunderstanding with Kohli in the previous innings.

Jaiswal, who was dismissed caught behind by Alex Carey in Australia captain Pat Cummins' delivery, added 84 in the second innings after slamming a neat 82 in the first.