For Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma to appear in India’s Test series against Australia, they will have to fly to the country in less than a week, according to India coach Ravi Shastri. Both Rohit and Ishant are currently at the NCA in Bengaluru, undergoing strengthening and rehabilitation as they return to full fitness after injuries sustained at IPL 2020.
“He’s going through some tests in the NCA and obviously they’re going to decide [for] how long you need to take a break, “Shastri said of Rohit, speaking with ABC sport. “But things could get tough if you are asked to wait too long, [because] so you’re talking about quarantine again, which could make it very difficult for even him to get there just in time for the test series. “
A 14-day quarantine is currently required in Australia due to Covid-19. The first test, a day-night pink ball event in Adelaide, begins on December 17, but India will also play a three-day warm-up match on December 11 before that. For Ishant and Rohit to emerge from quarantine by December 10, they would have to land in Australia on November 26.
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“I was never going to play the white ball series, they were just looking to see how long I needed the break, because you can’t afford to rest for too long,” Shastri said of Rohit not being part of the limited -overs squads. “If you need to play Test series or any red ball cricket, you have to be on the flight in the next three or four days. If you are not, then it will be difficult.”
Rohit had also stated that he did not opt for the cue ball leg of the Australia tour due to the tight schedule, but that his hamstring was “feeling absolutely fine” in the NCA. Ishant, who has already started bowling for long periods of a full career, is also slated to join the Indian team if he makes a full recovery.
“It is a similar case to Rohit,” Shastri said. “You really don’t know how fast it will be available to fly. Like I said, if someone has to play the test series, they have to be on the flight in the next four or five days. Otherwise, it is very difficult.”
“If you look at where India has gone in the last five or six years, no one has the slightest doubt that he is the driving force and the man behind it.”
Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli
The other challenge India will have to deal with in Trials is that Virat Kohli will only be available for the first game of the four-match series. He will then fly back for the birth of his first child, a decision Shastri said was the right one. While admitting that the team would miss his “driving force,” Shastri said it also opened an opportunity for someone else.
“I think it’s the right decision he’s making,” Shastri said. “These moments don’t come over and over. He has the opportunity, he’s coming back and I think he’ll be happier about it.
“If you look at where India has gone in the past five or six years, no one has the slightest doubt that he is the driving force and the man behind (India’s success). So obviously they would miss him. But As I say, in adversity comes the opportunity. There are many young people in the team and it is an opportunity for them. “
Looking ahead to the pink ball test match, Shastri acknowledged that Australia had much more experience, had played seven tests day and night and won each one. India has played only one match, against Bangladesh, and won it. “We had a good experience playing Bangladesh, but obviously the quality – Australia, Bangladesh – chalk and cheese. It’s still a learning curve as far as our team is concerned,” Shastri said.
While in quarantine, the Indian team has still managed to practice inside their bubble. The freedom to do that and not be confined to hotel rooms for a fortnight was a major factor behind the tour’s materialization, according to Shastri.
“I think that was the deciding factor. If it had been a hard quarantine, it would have been difficult for me to go on with a full tour,” he said. “That’s for sure. Once they said it was a soft quarantine and that the guys could practice, that made things easier.
“Fortunately, a lot of the guys played in the IPL, as did a lot of the Australians, so that would have got them going for the last month and a half. So far off when it comes to match fitness, they’re pretty much there.”
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