Veteran batsman to return in time for ODI series after a quick dash home for the birth of his daughter.
Rohit to miss fourth Test in Sydney
India will make at least one change for the fourth and final Domain Test in Sydney after No.6 Rohit Sharma returned home for the birth of his child.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed today that hours after India had regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a 137-run win in Melbourne, Rohit had boarded a plane home to be with his wife.
Rohit and wife Ritikia Sajdeh welcomed a baby girl in Mumbai.
It means Rohit is unavailable for the fourth Test at the SCG and will return to Australia on January 8 to prepare for India's three-match Gillette ODI Series against Australia.
The 31-year-old started the series in Adelaide but missed the second Test with a back injury.
He returned in Melbourne where he scored 63 not out and five as India wrapped up the series with an emphatic win.
India have never won a Test series in Australia and will be hoping to re-write history in Sydney.
With Rohit out, India will need to find a new No.6.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has missed the past two Tests with a side strain but is close to full fitness and could be a major addition on an SCG wicket that is expected to be dry.
India also have the services of seam-bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya in the squad.
Should Ashwin return, he could reunite with lethal spin partner Ravindra Jadeja, the left-arm orthodox tweaker who claimed five wickets in Melbourne.
"I think Ashwin’s very close to being match-fit,” skipper Virat Kohli said after day five at the MCG0. "He’s been bowling a lot of overs and I’m sure these next four days will make him even stronger.
"It being the last Test match, he will be willing to push himself and start for the team.
"But … it depends on what kind of pitch we get in Sydney."
Domain Test Series v India
Dec 6-10: India won by 31 runs
Dec 14-18: Australia won by 146 runs
Dec 26-30: India won by 137 runs
Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG
Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc
India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hardik Pandya, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar