Virat Kohli will return home after the first Test in Adelaide, scheduled to start on December 17, after the Team India captain was granted paternity leave by the BCCI.
Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting their first child around the New Year.
Rohit Sharma has been included in the Test squad after initially being left out because of a left hamstring injury. He, however, won’t be a part of the white-ball leg of the tour during which he will focus on his rehab ahead of the Test series. The decision, the BCCI said, was taken in “consultation” with Rohit and the selectors.
“The BCCI medical team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma’s fitness and has briefed all-India senior selection committee on the same,” the BCCI said in a media release.
“In consultation with Mr Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”
Sources told The Telegraph that the medical team wasn’t willing to risk Rohit’s hamstring in the ODIs. They suggested that he be rested for the T20Is and ODIs so that he has no issues during the Test matches. Moreover, his availability will be of utmost importance to the team once Virat returns home.
Rohit will travel with the squad to Sydney on Thursday on a chartered flight from Dubai and will undergo his rehab process under physio Nitin Patel.
The first Test of the four-match series, scheduled from December 17 to 21, will be India’s first Day-Night Test overseas. The BCCI said Kohli will return to India after that match. It, however, did not specify whether Kohli will rejoin the Test squad though that seems unlikely because of the 14-day quarantine restriction.
In Kohli’s absence, Ajinkya Rahane, who has been named vice-captain, is expected to be the stand-in Test captain.
Varun Chakravarthy, the spinner who received a maiden national call-up for the T20I series, has been ruled out because of a shoulder injury. Fast bowler T. Natarajan has replaced him in the squad.
Saha injury
BCCI has revealed Wriddhiman Saha has actually hurt hamstrings in both legs, which could rule him out of the Test series. Saha was named along with Rishabh Pant in the Test squad in October.
The BCCI did not indicate any estimated recovery period for Saha.
But there’s good news for Ishant Sharma, who has been undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Ishant had suffered an abdominal muscle tear in the IPL and was forced to return.
“Once he fully recovers and gains sufficient match fitness,” Ishant would be “added” to the Test squad. But the BCCI didn’t specify when the pacer would join the squad.Sanju Samson has been added to the ODI squad after being named only for the T20Is earlier.
KKR’s Kamlesh Nagarkoti, who was named as one of the net bowlers, has been withdrawn with the BCCI stating that he was “still working with the medical team on his bowling workload management”.
