Mumbai, January 2: India pacer Akash Deep was on Thursday ruled out of the the fifth and final Test against Australia starting here on Friday owing to a stiff back. Akash had taken five wickets from two Tests in Brisbane and Melbourne so far. He was a bit unlucky to not get more as multiple catches were dropped off his bowling during the two games. First or Second Dismissal? Michael Clarke Gives His Take on Which Dismissal Rishabh Pant Would Have Regretted More.

" Akash Deep is out with back issue," India coach Gautam Gambhir said in the pre-match press conference here.

Gambhir said the playing XI would be decided after taking a look at the pitch. The 28-year-old right-arm pacer bowled a total of 87.5 overs across two Test matches and his niggle could be a result of the heavier than usual workload he has endured. BGT 2024–25: Beau Webster To Debut, Mitchell Marsh Dropped; Australia Announces Playing XI for IND vs AUS 5th Test 2025.

The hard Australian grounds can cause knee, ankle and back issues for pacers.

Either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna could make it to the eleven in place of Akash. India trail 1-2 in the five-match series and need to win the fifth and final game to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.