India’s cricket team is facing a great challenge as their captain, Rohit Sharma, is likely to be out of the first Test against Australia in Perth. His wife, Ritika Sajdeh, is expecting her second child, and so Rohit has not reached Australia as yet, but that caused uncertainty over the opening of the series. India head coach Gautam Gambhir indicated that a final decision on whether Rohit would play in the series would only be clarified as the series approaches.
In case Rohit is not available, India will have to name another captain for the first Test. While fans had been speculating that former captain Virat Kohli might take up this role due to his impressive record in Australia, Gambhir has confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah, who serves as the team’s vice-captain, will take up the leadership responsibilities in Rohit’s absence. “Bumrah is the vice-captain, so he’s going to lead if Rohit is not available,” Gambhir said at a press conference.
Over the past ten years, India has been a strong challenge to Australia, winning four consecutive Border-Gavaskar series, two of which they won in Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21) and two at home. That record has established India as one of the most successful teams in world cricket.
World Test Championship Final up for grabs
Apart from the pressure of climbing, India needs a series win against Australia to qualify for the WTC final. The team’s defeat to New Zealand recently has derailed its prospects of qualifying for the WTC final and has compelled India to face a tough task: achieve a 4-0 win over Australia to qualify directly. Moreover, a single defeat at any point during the series means that India will be dependent on the results of other teams to qualify. But if India wins the series at 3-0, 3-1, or 4-1, then they can still qualify; as a matter of fact, England has to draw at least one Test match against New Zealand. If India wins 2-0, then England must have won at least one Test game against New Zealand.
Alternatively, if India wins the series 3-2, they would need both England and Sri Lanka to win a Test against New Zealand and Australia, respectively.
Of course, India’s association with the Border-Gavaskar series holds much more than historical value—it also opens doors to qualification chances for the World Test Championship final. The team faces severe stakes as they gear up to face Australia in the thrilling confrontation of the cricketing giants.
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