Rohit Sharma still not...: Rahul Dravid breaks silence on India captain's availability for 5th Test vs England

Team India captain Rohit Sharma can still play the 5th Test vs England, confirmed head coach Rahul Dravid on Wednesday (June 29).  "He is being monitored by Indian team, Rohit hasnot been ruled out, we have still got 36 hours, so he will have a test later tonight and then in morning. It is upto medical team and sports science to take a better call." Dravid did not open his mouth on who could lead India if Rohit is unfit for the fifth and last Test of the series. He said that the official confirmation needs to comes from the BCCI selectors. "It is better that the confirmaion to who is captain comes from official sources," Dravid told reporters.

The head coach also shared his view on number of captains India has had in the last 6 months and whether the likely change of guards right ahead of the 5th Test vs England will change his plans as well. Dravid said that the change in captains was something even he did not predict when he took up the job but it is not something which has affected India's performances. He said, "It is what it is. WhenI took this job, even I would have not predicted so many captains. There have been unfortunate injuries. Sometimes we have to balance out workloads of players. It is not something that you start off thinking you want to do but if situation arise, you react to them, and inspire of number of captains, we have played good cricket."

Who will open with Shubman Gill in case Rohit Sharma does not make it?

Dravid said that there are multiple options available for India to try in the 5th Test. He did not rule out trying either of the three replacement options at the top. Earlier a source close to BCCI had said that Cheteshwar Pujara or Hanuma Vihari could get a promotion up the order. But Rahul has not ruled out the option of Mayank Agarwal either. He also said that KS Bharat is a good option. "Mayank is there. Bharat has opened for Andhra Pradesh. I would not want to give things away. But in our mind, we have our clarity, but I don't have liberty to disclose my playing XI."