Recent workload forces India’s limited-overs opening batsman to not play four-day ‘Test’ in New Zealand ahead of series in Australia; Instead, will travel with T20 squad on Friday
So much hue and cry was made when India’s dominating limited-overs batsman Rohit Sharma when he was recalled into the Test squad for upcoming tour of Australia.
And, when the opportunity is presented before him to make a case for himself and throw up his hat in the ring for the starting 11 for the opening Test in Adelaide from December 6, the 30-year-old Mumbai batsman has been rested for the four-day first ‘Test’ against New Zealand ‘A’ starting in Mount Maunganui on Friday owing to workload in recent times.
“Rohit Sharma has been advised rest by the BCCI Medical Team in consultation with the team management and the All-India Senior Selection Committee. The decision was taken keeping in mind his recent workload,” said the Board of Control for Cricket in India in a statement on Tuesday.
Sharma, who led India to a 3-0 whitewash of the Windies in the Twenty20 Internationals ending on Sunday, was originally named in the India ‘A’ squad for the first of three ‘Tests’ against New Zealand ‘A’ along with some of the other Test specialists including Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, openers Murali Vijay and Prithvi Shaw, all-rounder Hanuma Vihari and second wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel to get some competitive match practice ahead of the Test series in Australia.
The full Indian Test team have only one warm-up match scheduled before the four-Test series gets under way at the Adelaide Oval.
Sharma who has made a comeback to the Test side on the basis of his stellar performances in the limited-overs. He averages 73.57 and 40.00 in ODIs and T20Is, respectively, in 2018 (see box). Sharma was given a Test lifeline earlier this year in South Africa by including him in the first two Tests in Cape Town and Centurion before being dropped for the third Test in Johannesburg for not capitalising on them.
By not getting the much-needed red-ball practice ahead of the crucial series in Australia, Sharma has made it that much more difficult for himself to play in the Tests against Australia. However, he will be seen in action in the three T20Is that precede the Tests in Australia, the first of which starts on November 21 and the third on November 25 in Sydney with the second on November 23 in Melbourne.
All is not lost for Sharma, though, as India play a three-day warm-up game against Cricket Australia XI at the Sydney Cricket Ground from November 29. As has been seen in the past, India’s warm-up matches on tours are an extension of a net session with all the batsmen getting batting practice and the bowlers rolling their arms over to get some overs under their belt.
Sharma will now leave for Australia with India’s T20 squad on Friday.
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