Rohit Sharma to Rejoin Indian Squad for Pink-Ball Tour in Australia
Rohit Sharma, the Indian Test captain, will join the Indian team in Australia on November 24 to play in the two-day pink-ball tour game starting on November 30 in Canberra. Rohit couldn't be a part of the first Test in Perth as he remained in India for the birth of his second child.
In Rohit's absence, the team was led by vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah at the Optus Stadium. Bumrah confirmed his position as the temporary leader in a press conference on the eve of the first Test in Perth.
Rohit's return is seen as a significant boost to the Indian side, especially since they will have to depend on a few fringe players for the series opener in Perth. The upcoming two-day pink-ball game against the Prime Minister's XI at the Manuka Oval serves as an excellent opportunity for Rohit and his team to prepare for the day-night Test in Adelaide.
In recent seasons, the Prime Minister's XI game switched from its traditional limited-overs format to a four-day tournament, featuring West Indies in 2022 and Pakistan in 2023. The current game against India, however, has been reduced to just two days.
Rohit, managing only 91 runs in six innings against New Zealand recently with an average of 15.16, will be seeking to recover his form in the upcoming tour.
India's previous day-night Test was against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru in March 2022, which they won by 238 runs. Their last day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval saw a challenging game, with India collapsing to 36 in the second innings. Despite this setback, India made a spectacular comeback to clinch the series 2-1.
