Senior opening batsman Rohit Sharma joins Team India ahead of the third test match against Australia that will start from January 7 in Sydney Cricket Ground. Sharma did not feature in any of T20 and ODI matches against Australia due to a hamstring injury.
During the IPL 2020, Sharma had developed the hamstring injury, owing to which he didn’t play in five matches for Mumbai Indians (MI). Though he played in the playoffs matches, but he was not fully fit to feature for India. Ahead of the Australian series, Sharma was advised to undergo rest and rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), in Bengaluru.
Good sense prevailed earlier in December when Sharma cleared the fitness test and consequently, BCCI flew him to Australia. He did reach Australia before the second test but couldn’t feature in the same owning the 10-day mandatory quarantine.
On Wednesday, Sharma arrived in Melbourne where the Indian team is currently staying. In a short video shared by BCCI, a cheerful atmosphere arose as Sharma was seen shaking hands with the other players. In a light-hearted mood, India’s Head Coach Ravi Shastri asked Sharma how his quarantine period actually was.
Look who's joined the squad in Melbourne 😀
A warm welcome for @ImRo45 as he joins the team 🤗#TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/uw49uPkDvR
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 30, 2020
As per the prevailing talks, Rohit Sharma is likely to appear in the third test as an opener with Shubman Gill. Mayank Agrawal was unable to put forth some promising performances in the first two test matches, so he is likely to be replaced by Rohit Sharma.
The engine is just getting started and here is a quick glimpse of what lies ahead. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/3UdwpQO7KY
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 31, 2020
Sharma was spotted during the training with the team in Melbourne. As the series is now level 1-1, the return of Sharma will be a big boost for team India.