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Rohit Sharma-led Team India will have a daunting task of taking on the reigning World Test Champions Australia in a five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after suffering a humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home. Most of the Indian squad has already arrived in Australia, with the first Test scheduled to begin on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. However, just days before the series opener, a major injury scare has hit the Indian camp.
Sarfaraz Khan injures his elbow ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
During a practice session at the WACA, promising middle-order batter Sarfaraz Khan was struck on the elbow by a cricket ball. The incident forced him to leave the nets immediately, raising concerns about his availability for the first Test. While the exact extent of the injury is still unclear, this setback could potentially disrupt India's batting plans.
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However, later it was learnt that the injury is not serious and Sarfaraz Khan has not required an MRI scan.
Sarfaraz Khan will have a task cut out in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Adapting to the demanding Australian conditions and confronting a formidable bowling attack will pose a big challenge for the batting sensation.
Since his Test debut in February, Sarfaraz has scored 371 runs in six matches at an average of 37.10. While his century in Bengaluru was impressive, he struggled in the other five innings against New Zealand, scoring only 21 runs. The 27-year-old will need to elevate his game significantly to cope with the fast and bouncy Australian pitches and the likes of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc.
Meanwhile, India's preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy have been disrupted by uncertainty surrounding Rohit Sharma's availability. Rohit hasn't travelled to Australia with the Indian squad as he and his wife Ritika Sajdeh is expecting their second child. However, recent reports revealed that the Indian captain is currently training at the Reliance Corporate Park in Mumbai and utilising the facilities of the Mumbai Cricket Association. The lack of clarity regarding his departure date has intensified speculation about his participation in the series.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
Australia's squad for Border-Gavaskar Trophy's Perth Test
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc
