The captain of India has a decent probability of being able to join the squad before the first Test match in Perth.
Rohit Sharma
Mumbai: After his wife, Ritika, gave birth to a boy on Friday, India captain Rohit Sharma had cause to rejoice. In addition to being good news for Rohit personally, the development increases his prospects of getting to Australia in time to play the first Test match in Perth beginning on November 22.
In addition to settling India’s batting lineup, Rohit’s availability for the opening match against Australia would guarantee leadership consistency for the duration of the series.
With all of the contenders having a poor showing in the India A games, India has been having trouble finding an in-form partner for Yashasvi Jaiswal. Even on the first day of the three-day match simulation at the WACA ground, there wasn’t much optimism.
When KL Rahul came out to open with Jaiswal during the practice match on Friday, all eyes were on him. However, early on the first day, Rahul was struck in the right elbow by a rising delivery, so his preparations didn’t go as planned.
According to media reports from Australia, the right-hander departed the pitch following the injury and did not return to play for the remainder of the day.
At the beginning of the three-day intra-squad competition between the India A players and the main Test team, Rahul was paired with Jaiswal. Before being hurt by a rising delivery from pacer Prasidh Krishna, he batted for a few overs. Rahul left after getting treatment in the middle, but it is believed that his injury was not severe.
Time is Tough
Virat Kohli had scans on Thursday, but he is reportedly in perfect health and batted painlessly in the match simulation, according to a story in a major Australian newspaper.
With specialist opener Abhimanyu Easwaran in the Test team, India has backup options for the opener’s position even if Rohit does miss the first Test. The team’s official No. 3 batsman, Shubman Gill, can also fill in if necessary. He performed admirably as an opener in his first series in 2020–21, scoring 259 runs at an average of 51.80, including a brilliant 91 in the Brisbane Test’s second innings to set up a historic victory.
At the center-wicket of Perth Stadium, India’s top batsmen struggled against Prasidh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Navdeep Saini, and Mukesh Kumar. Gill, Rishabh Pant, Kohli, and Jaiswal were all unable to spend much time at the crease. Both young batters took advantage of the opportunity to spend time in the middle when Jaiswal and Gill had a second hit later in the day. Gill scored an undefeated 42, while Jaiswal finished at 58 not out.
Following their poor performance in the most recent home series, in which they lost all three Test matches against New Zealand, India’s batting lineup is being scrutinised. Concern is raised not just by the backup openers but also by the two veteran batting pros, Virat Kohli and Rohit, who have not scored many runs recently. With only one half-century in six innings, both players had numerous setbacks during the New Zealand series.
Shubhangi Gupta is a distinguished content writer and the visionary founder of The Unpleasant – Acha Nahi Sabse Sacha. With a Master’s degree in Commerce from University of Lucknow, Shubhangi has seamlessly blended her academic background with her passion for reading and writing, embarking on a successful career as a content writer since 2019.
