Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant expected to play Sydney Test despite bio-bubble breach

Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, and Navdeep Saini have made headlines after breaching the bio-bubble protocols. These five cricketers had visited a restaurant in Melbourne on the New Year's Day. They had interacted with an Indian fan who also paid the bill for their lunch as a gentle gesture.

According to BCCI and Cricket Australia, dining inside the restaurant is itself a breach of the protocol. Both the cricket boards are currently investigating the matter. As per the rules, all the five players are apart from the rest of the squad. However, they can train during this period. Ahead of the third Test, there is concerns about whether these players will be available to play.

According to the reports, all of the five players will be available to play. The crucial third Test between Australia and India is starting on January 7 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. 

The report further states that the BCCI will take a reasonable approach if the players are guilty of breaching the protocols. Apart from Saini, Sharma, Gill and Pant are unquestionable players in India's playing XI.

Cricket Australia cannot punish the Indian players

Simultaneously, it has been known that the Australian cricket board cannot impose any restrictions on the players. All the five players are also going to travel with the team to Sydney on Monday. They will be maintaining social distance from the rest of the squad. The officials have also put forward that the alleged breach from the five players is considered on the low end.

Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini are not going to make the playing XI. Rohit Sharma is most likely to replace Mayank Agarwal as an opener or Hanuma Vihari in the middle-order. 

According to the sources, the recent incident was not the first time Indian players have breached the bio-secure protocols. Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya also pictured at a shop in Sydney during the tour's white-ball leg.

The Border-Gavaskar series is currently tied 1-1. Australia has won the first Test in Adelaide, while India registered a win in Melbourne.

READ MORE Cricket articles here!