India coach Gautam Gambhir gave an update about Rohit Sharma's availability for the first Test against Australia in Perth. As per reports, Rohit will miss the series opener as he is set to become a father for the second time. Rohit hasn't travelled to Australia with the first batch, and the chances of him playing the first Test look grim at the moment.
When Gautam Gambhir was asked about Rohit's availability, he gave a cryptic response and said there is no confirmation and a clear update will be out ahead of the series.
"There is no confirmation. We'll let you know. Hopefully he’ll be available. Everything you’ll get to know by the start of the series," Gambhir said at the pre-series press conference.
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If Rohit is not available, India will have to find a partner for Yashasvi Jaiswal. India have added Abhimanyu Easwaran to the squad, however, Gambhir said the team is not short of options and even KL Rahul or Shubman Gill can open the innings in Perth. "Eswaran and KL are there as far as opening is concerned. We will see closer to the first test," said Gambhir.
India have been outstanding against Australia in the last 10 years, having won four consecutive Test series, including two tours to Australia. They defied the odds on the last tour and pulled off a miraculous win despite missing the top stars. The upcoming series, however, will be the stiffest challenge for India in recent times.
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Must Win Series For India
The series is vital for India as it is the gateway to the World Test Championship (WTC) final. India were firm favorites to make it to the third consecutive summit clash, but the defeat to New Zealand jeopardised their chances. India now face an uphill task of beating Australia in the series to qualify for the final. If India beat Australia 4-0, they will qualify for the final without depending on other results, however, if the outcome is 3-0, 3-1 or 4-1, India would need England to draw at least one Test in New Zealand. In case of a 2-0 win, India will need England to beat New Zealand in at least one of their Tests. If India win the series 3-2, they will need England and Sri Lanka to win one Test against New Zealand and Australia respectively.