Rohit Sharma will not feature in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Rohit, who stayed back in India for the birth of his second child, will join the squad ahead of the second Test, a day-night fixture starting December 6 in Adelaide.
Rohit had informed the BCCI and selectors in advance about his potential absence from the Perth Test but had left the possibility of last-minute travel open, depending on the timing of his child’s birth. After welcoming their second child on Friday, Rohit confirmed he would skip the Perth Test but plans to play a pink-ball warm-up match against the Australian Prime Minister's XI from November 30 before the Adelaide Test.
In Rohit's absence, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead India in Perth. Bumrah has previous captaincy experience, having led India in the fifth Test of their 2021-22 tour of England at Edgbaston when Rohit tested positive for Covid-19.
India will also be without Shubman Gill, their regular No. 3, who is sidelined with a fractured thumb. This leaves India without two key players from their top three. KL Rahul and the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran are the primary options to open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in Perth, though both may feature in the XI due to Gill’s absence.
Rahul briefly raised concerns after taking a blow to the elbow during an intra-squad practice match at the WACA. However, he returned to bat for an hour on Sunday, easing fears of injury. Another top-order option is Devdutt Padikkal, who was part of India A’s shadow tour of Australia and has stayed with the Test squad. Padikkal has one Test cap, earned earlier this year against England in Dharamsala.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir and his team, including Morne Morkel, Abhishek Nayar, and Ryan ten Doeschate, face significant challenges in their first overseas Test series. The series comes on the heels of an unprecedented 3-0 home whitewash against New Zealand. To bolster the batting lineup, India may consider fielding a seam-bowling allrounder at No. 8. Options include Nitish Kumar Reddy, a batting allrounder from Andhra, and Harshit Rana, a hit-the-deck bowler from Delhi, both of whom are uncapped.
India’s preparations will shift from the WACA to the Optus Stadium starting Tuesday, as the team finalizes its XI and strategies for the series opener.
Updated on 17th November, 2024 by MyFortune11 Team