India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma to miss Sydney Test after birth of first child, Hardik Pandya likely to replace him

India will have tinker with the combination that won the Melbourne Test match on Sunday. Rohit Sharma will not be able to play the fourth and final Test against Australia as he is flying back to attend the birth of his first child.

Hardik Pandya seems the most likely choice to replace him. 

According to news reports, Rohit became a father on Sunday as his wife Ritika gave birth to a baby girl. An Instagram story posted by Ritika’s cousin Seema Khan, who’s also Sohail Khan’s wife, suggested that the couple have been blessed with a baby girl.   

Rohit played two Tests on the tour, scoring half-century at the MCG in India’s first innings. In four innings, the middle-order batsman scored 106 runs at 35.33 with a highest score of 63 not out. He had to miss the second Test match due to an injury.

India regained their lead in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy with an emphatic 137-run win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday.

“It would’ve been great to have him (Rohit) around,” The Times of India quoted a source as saying on Monday. “Tactically, he brings so much to the side and then his batting provides the right kind of balance to the side. But what awaits him is far bigger and more important.”

Rohit’s absence opens doors for Hardik Pandya who flew to Australia after the second Test match. Pandya was left out of the team for the first two matches as he was recovering from a back injury. However, Ravichandran Ashwin or Kuldeep Yadav are also options for India at the spin-friendly nature of the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Australia have included leg-spinning allrounder Marnus Labuschagne in their squad for the final Test staring January 3.