Indian cricket team captain Rohit Sharma is scheduled to travel to Australia shortly, aiming to join his teammates in Perth by November 24, during the ongoing first Test at Opus Stadium.
Rohit Sharma missed the first test commencing on November 22, as he had decided to be with the family for the birth of his second child. Following this he missed the departure with the Indian team who had departed earlier this month. In the absence of Rohit Sharma for the Indian side, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the Indian side ahead of the Perth test.
The marquee test series between India & Australia will start with the series commencing on November 22. Though Rohit Sharma misses the first test, the Indian side will be bolstered by Rohit Sharma’s presence who’s expected to arrive in Australia by November 24. Though Bumrah would lead the side, it would be interesting to see who would open alongside Jaiswal in Rohit Sharma’s absence ahead of the first test.
The Indian team had recently suffered a 3-0 Whitewash against New Zealand & which has led to the Indian team requiring four wins in the remaining five matches against Australia, with the team who would look to bring in their best game ahead of the five tests against Australia. The team would expect to have their regular skipper ahead of the second test which is a pink ball test in Adelaide that would begin from December 6.
The Indian team has already suffered setbacks following Shubman Gill who was ruled out during Match Simulation following a thumb injury also putting the top order in doubt for the second test.
Rohit Sharma’s presence at the top order for the remaining four matches makes a significant impact on the Indian top order following the Mumbai batter’s magnificent growth format since he started to open the innings in the red ball format in 2019. A turning point in Rohit’s test career was the England tour in 2021, in which he was the second leading run-scorer in the four tests with 368 runs but what impressed was the ability to leave & defend the ball for a batter who’s often known to take on the bowlers. But more recently, the Mumbai batter has been out of touch after scoring 153 runs in the last 10 test innings.
In the red ball format, Rohit Sharma has scored 708 runs in 22 innings which includes three fifties & one hundred to his name. During India’s last tour to Australia, Rohit Sharma featured in two matches But the test series against Australia produces an opportunity for a batter who likes to bat on conditions offering extra bounce & the Border-Gavaskar trophy could see Rohit Sharma’s game taking off, with India who would look to retain the Border Gavaskar trophy after successfully winning it on the last both occasions they have traveled to Australia. But the task won’t be easier this time with challenges lying ahead against the hosts.