India’s star starter Rohit Sharma and pacemaker Ishant Sharma will miss the first two tests against Australia and also have doubts for the remaining two after the BCCI was told that the duo will need about a month to be fit. The two, who are in rehab at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, are already out of competition for the limited overs stage of the series, which begins with the ODI on Friday.
They were kept on the test team for the series as of December 17, but strict quarantine rules have made their availability uncertain.
“The NCA has given a report that both Rohit and Ishant will take at least another 3-4 weeks to get into shape,” a Board source told PTI on Tuesday.
Rohit, while speaking to PTI last week, had stated that his hamstring injury is fine now and that he is only working on strength and conditioning to be ready for battle in the NCA.
Ishant, on the other hand, is recovering from lateral stress.
“Even if they travel now they will have ‘hard quarantine’ as they will be traveling on commercial flight. Hard quarantine means not being able to train for the 14 days like the entire team,” the source said.
“So if only Cricket Australia can convince the government and allow them to train during quarantine,” he added.
The Indian team, which landed here after the IPL earlier this month on a chartered flight, was allowed to train in quarantine as Australia battled a new wave of COVID-19 cases.
National coach Ravi Shastri stated on Sunday that the two cricketers’ chances of playing the Test series depend on whether they can board a flight to Australia within this week.
“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,” he said. said.
The four-round series, after the first day and night match in Adelaide, will move to Melbourne (December 26-30), followed by games in Sydney (January 7-11) and Brisbane (January 15-30). January 19).
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India will be left without the Virat Kohli skipper after the first test as she will return to the country to be there for the birth of her first child.
The visitors had won the 2018-19 series 2-1.
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