New Delhi: Indian captain Rohit Sharma will not be able to play in the upcoming opening test. Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Perth to spend time with his family after the birth of his son. The Indian captain will rejoin the team for the second Test in Adelaide, which will be a day-night contest under lights in Adelaide.
Confirming the decision, an official close to the development said, “Rohit Sharma will not play in the first Test. He wants to spend some more time with his family and newborn.” indian cricket board I fully respect his decision.”
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly urged Rohit to reconsider and go to Australia in time for the Perth Test. Ganguly stressed the importance of Rohit’s leadership in the high-risk series, which he believes could be the 37-year-old’s final tour. “I hope Rohit Sharma leaves soon, because the team needs leadership. I believe his wife has given birth to a child yesterday [Friday] Night so I’m sure he can go. He can go as soon as possible and if I were him, he should have played the Perth Test,” Ganguly told RevSportz.
Gunguli further said, “There is a week left in the match. Because it is a big series, he will not go to Australia after this, he is a fantastic captain. India need his leadership to start with.”
Ganguly also reflected on Rohit’s initial hesitation in taking over the Test captaincy after Virat Kohli steps down in January 2022 and attributed it to workload concerns.
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“He wasn’t because he was captaining other formats. So, it was too much workload. I don’t believe in workload. India’s Test captain is going to be a Test captain. I told him that my Don’t finish your career, I am not surprised by what he has achieved despite not being a Test captain,” Ganguly commented.
The Border-Gavaskar Trophy will begin in Perth on November 22, followed by matches in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. With Rohit returning for the second Test, India will aim to take advantage of their captain’s experience and leadership in the remaining matches of the series.
