As per reports, Indian captain Rohit Sharma could miss one Test match against Australia in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy. Team India is scheduled to travel Down Under for a five-match series, with the first Test at Perth, starting November 22.
India have triumphed on their previous two visits to Australia for the BGT (2019, 2021). A third-straight series-win in 2024 could also help them secure qualification for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
India are currently top of the WTC points table, with 74.24 Percentage Points. One below, are their next opponents, Australia, who are also the defending champions and are placed second, with 62.50 Percentage Points.
That being said, the visitors will have a thing or two to worry about, ahead of their inaugural Test match in Perth. Their skipper, Rohit Sharma could be out for the first or the second Test of the five-match series. Here's why!
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Why will India captain Rohit Sharma miss a Test against Australia during BGT?
As per BCCI source quoted by media outlet PTI, team India skipper Rohit Sharma could miss any one of the first two Tests against Australia. The Indian skipper has informed the BCCI about his potential absence, citing 'family reasons'.
It was reported that should the issue be resolved before the series, the 37-year-old would be available for all five Tests.
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Who could be India's replacement opener for Rohit Sharma during his absence?
If Rohit is unavailable for one Test match against Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran could be considered as a frontrunner for the replacement opening role.
Easwaran has been knocking on the doors of the Indian Test team for a while and could be called up to replace the Indian skipper. The 29-year-old is set to travel to Australia either way as he will be leading the India A side on the tour.
However, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also potential replacements, if the management opts to go with batters with experience of overseas conditions.
Yashasvi Jaiswal is expected to be the primary choice of opener alongside Rohit for the foreseeable future.
Who could captain India Test team in the absence of Rohit Sharma?
The vice-captain of the Test side will lead the Indian team in the absence of the skipper.
However, no vice-captain has been selected for the red-ball format under the new Gautam Gambhir management. The role was undefined in the recent Test series against Bangladesh as well.
The likes of Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, and Rishabh Pant could potentially lead the Indian team, in absence of Rohit during Test matches.
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Full schedule for the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25
| Test | Date | Time (IST) | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | November 22 - November 26, 2024 | 08:00 AM | Perth |
| 2nd Test | December 06 - December 10, 2024 | 09:30 AM | Adelaide |
| 3rd Test | December 14 - December 18, 2024 | 05:30 AM | Brisbane |
| 4th Test | December 26 - December 30, 2024 | 05:30 AM | Melbourne |
| 5th Test | January 03 - January 07, 2025 | 05:30 AM | Sydney |
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