India dropped skipper Rohit Sharma but their top order batting woes continued as they struggled to 107-4 by tea on the day one of the fifth Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday. Virat Kohli survived a big scare on the first delivery he faced in a moment of high drama but made it safely to the break on 12 not out. But finally departed for 17. At the break, a battling Rishabh Pant was on 32 from 80 balls with Ravindra Jadeja not-out 11. Earlier, K.L. Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal both departed cheaply early on and Shubman Gill, Rohit's batting replacement, was caught in the slips for 20 off Nathan Lyon to bring up lunch.

Jasprit Bumrah, standing in for Rohit as skipper, won the toss and decided to bat despite the leaden skies and a wicket with a distinct tinge of green. Rahul reverted to opener alongside Jaiswal, with Gill returning at three. But the ploy backfired with Rahul out softly with Mitchell Starc tempting him to clip a full delivery to Sam Konstas at cover. Regular captain and opener Rohit was "rested", India said, after failing to get past 10 runs in any of his five innings during the series, which Australia lead 2-1. It was a significant move with the series on the line and could spell the end of the 37-year-old's 67-match Test career.

Fellow veteran Kohli, 36, has similarly been under pressure since an unbeaten 100 in the first Test at Perth, with his failure to again build a big score set to intensify the scrutiny. There were concerns ahead of the Test over star seamer Starc's fitness but he showed no discomfort and routinely troubled the batsmen, finding plenty of movement. Scott Boland came on after an opening barrage from Pat Cummins and took the big wicket of in-form Jaiswal in his first over, collected smartly at slip by debutant Beau Webster -- in the side for the axed Mitchell Marsh. The hosts were convinced Boland had Kohli out for a golden duck next ball.

The Indian star edged to Steve Smith at second slip and diving low to his right, he got his hand under the ball and scooped it up for Marnus Labuschagne to complete the catch. But in a big call by third umpire Joel Wilson, he ruled that part of the ball feathered the ground and Kohli survived. India seemed destined to reach lunch without further loss, but Nathan Lyon drew an outside edge from Gill and Smith took the catch. Australia tightened the pressure when they returned with Kohli adding just five runs before the irrepressible Boland struck again with a ball that nipped away, taking an edge to Webster at slip.

The ebullient Pant was criticised for throwing his wicket away in the fourth Test at Melbourne, which Australia won, and he was far more conservative this time. Peppered with bouncers that repeatedly hit his body, he bravely hung around alongside Jadeja, who was dropped on three and again on five. The tourists, needing a win in the series finale to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, had only 11 runs on the board when Rahul chipped a slower Mitchell Starc delivery to teenager Sam Konstas at square leg for four. The Indian batters eked out another six runs before Jaiswal (10) joined his opening partner in the dressing room with an edge to the slips from a Scott Boland delivery that nipped back to the off side.

Boland thought he had Kohli out for a golden duck off the next delivery but the roars of the sellout crowd turned to jeers when the third umpire ruled the ball had kissed the grass before slip fielder Steve Smith flicked it up for Marnus Labuschagne to catch. Australia lead the series 2-1 after rebounding from a thrashing in the Perth opener to win the tests in Adelaide and Melbourne, which sandwiched a draw in Brisbane. They will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15 if they win or draw. Bumrah attempted to douse rumours of rifts in the India camp when he said Rohit's absence from the team was the out-of-form 37-year-old's own choice.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)