Indian Skipper Rohit Sharma attended the press conference today ahead of training in Melbourne before the Boxing Day Test which starts on 26 December. Skipper Rohit talked about the pitches Team India was given to practice in Melbourne. He said those pitches were used pitches for Big Bash. Today they got a fresh wicket to practice on and he said we will go and see the pitch and train accordingly.

Rohit on Series being tied at 1-1

Skipper Rohit Sharma said, "We have played some really good cricket. We have been fortunate that we won the Test in Perth. When you get bowled out for 150 runs you feel like you are under pressure. And then the attitude from the boys that they turned up and bowled out Australia for 104 shows up the attitude of not giving up till the last day of the Test match. When you tour abroad you know that you have to put those extra effort and some attitude as well which we showed in that Test match."

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"In Adelaide, we were a little bit behind the game. We didn't play well and I admitted that too. And then in Brisbane there wasn't much cricket only 180 and 90 overs were bowled. So, after three matches I had to look out at it being 1-1 it's a fair reflection of how both teams have played. Both teams have played solid cricket. The remaining two Tests are so important now for both teams. We want to break it down for just Melbourne now and we can focus on what we can achieve here. We should get our things right, play well, bat and bowl well, and take some good catches as well."

Rohit praises Bumrah's confidence and impact

Rohit Sharma on being asked about Jasprit Bumrah's impact on the series said, "It's very easy not say anything. Because he knows everything and he knows how he operates very plain and simple. He doesn't try to complicate things with his own stuff and keeps it nice and simple. He has so much belief in his skillset that there is not much discussion we need to have with him. I have been watching him for a long time. I have captained him for a long time so I know how he thinks. What he is trying to do makes it really easier for me not to think too much while he is bowling. Only because he is so clear in his mind. Whether he gets wickets or he doesn't he is so confident with his skillset that the conversations that happen during the game gives me that confidence that what the guy is trying to do. There is nothing much I can add there. So. it's very simple with him and it's always nice to have somebody like him in your team. When he is in such form the job of the other bowlers also becomes a little bit easier. All they need to do it to maintain that pressure. So, when it comes to Bumrah it is crystal clear ideas and plain and simple thoughts. It's nice to see that a lot of people from the opposition camp talk about him. How to handle him and stuff like that but usually those are the discussions that happen everywhere and like I said the impact he had on the series so far is massive. I hope he continues to do that because these two games are very very important for us."

Irfan Pathan-led Mumbai Mariners lifted the inaugural Big Cricket League trophy after beating Suresh Raina-led Southern Spartans in the high-scoring final of the Big Cricket League 2024 last Sunday. After winning the trophy, the Mariners leader recreated Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s T20 World Cup-winning celebration moment.

After Mariners captain Irfan Pathan chose to field first, Spartans scored 210/6 in 20 overs with the help of the opener Phil Mustard and skipper Suresh Raina’s half-centuries. Mariners chased down the target in 19.1 overs after losing three wickets. While Jesal Karia and Manan Sharma set up the tone in the chasing after both the openers’ cheap dismissals, skipper Irfan Pathan successfully guided the team to victory with the Player of the Match Manan Sharma. 

Southern Spartans set up a strong total

After the opener Solomon Mire was dismissed for seven runs, English cricketer Mustard and former Indian star Suresh Raina had an incredible partnership of 119 runs from 53 balls for the second wicket. While Raina was dismissed for 51 off 26 balls with nine fours and one six, Mustard scored 78 off 39 balls with 10 fours and four sixes before Manan Sharma caught and bowled him. 

Also, Faiz Fazal scored 30 off 19 balls with the help of three fours and one six, and Abhimanyu Mithun scored 25 off 22 balls with two sixes. While Manan Sharma ended with the bowling figures of 4-0-50-1, Shivam Kumar (2/37) and Manpreet Gony (2/40) picked up two wickets each. 

See Also: PCB confirms neutral venue for Indo-Pak clash

Mumbai Mariners successfully chased the target

In reply, openers Mihir Agarwal (2) and Sri Lankan Malinda Pushpakumara (13) were dismissed cheaply, but Jesal Karia and Manan Sharma controlled the game with a 93-run partnership for the third wicket. After Karia was dismissed for 75 off 39 balls (13 fours and one six), Manan and Irfan Pathan maintained the game in their favour with another 85-run partnership for the unbroken fourth wicket. While Manan scored 89 not out off 42 balls with seven fours and six sixes, skipper Irfan scored 27 not out off 18 balls with two fours and one six. 

During the title-winning moment, Irfan Pathan recreated Indian captain Rohit Sharma’s walking celebration during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 title-winning moment. 

.@ImRo45 Taking A Page Out Of My Playbook! WOOOOO! pic.twitter.com/gRMrPermGb

— Ric Flair® (@RicFlairNatrBoy) June 30, 2024

Irfan Pathan’s Mumbai Mariners crowned the first-ever Big Cricket League champions! 🏆🔥

Watch the #BCL Final, highlights on #SonyLIV 📲 pic.twitter.com/FCcPQHuPff

— Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) December 23, 2024

The youngest member of the Indian contingent Dhruv Jurel hogged the spotlight during a practice session which threw light on his promising leadership skills. The youngster went as far as even defeating the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The Indian team management devised an incentive-based fielding game comprising three groups - Group A, Group B, and Group C. 

Jurel captained Group C which came on top brushing aside Sarfraz Khan-led Group A & Siraj-led Group B, earning a reward of $300 for their efforts.

See also: PCB confirms neutral venue for Indo-Pak clash

Jurel & Co. throw themselves around to win 300 dollar reward

The fielding competition was conducted as a part of the preparation process for the fourth Test starting in Melbourne on December 26. All three groups were led by young brigades who were all entangled in a fierce battle. Group A was led by Sarfaraz Khan which included some prominent figures like Kohli, Jaiswal, and Rana. 

Target hitting with points system 🎯

3 groups led by young captains 🧢

Cash reward on the line 💰

Fun, energy and intensity - #TeamIndia gears up for the Melbourne Test with a lively fielding drill with Fielding coach T Dilip 💥#AUSvIND

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 23, 2024

Group B was marshaled by Siraj who had high-profile players at his helm such as Kohli, Pant, and Rahul. However, Jurel's Group C emerged triumphant which included the likes of gun players such as Bumrah, Gill, and Jadeja. The defeat of Virat and Rohit's teams at the hands of a youngster serves as a positive indication that the future of Indian cricket is in safe hands. 

Preparations for the Boxing Day Test

Preparations for the upcoming Boxing Day test on December 26 are underway in full swing. With the series evenly balanced at 1-1, both teams have everything to play for in the upcoming Test. Moreover, with the WTC around the corner, both teams realize what's at stake and will look to brace themselves for a high-octane showdown in Melbourne to get themselves ahead. 

According to emerging reports, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma is believed to have injured himself while playing in the nets on Sunday, December 22. As per the latest report published by Times of India, Rohit suffered a blow to his left knee while facing a warm-up delivery from throwdown specialist Daya during India’s second practice session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ahead of the fourth Test.  

After that blow, Rohit carried on for a little bit before holding up to receive medical attention from the physio.

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What did the report say?

The report suggests that the Indian skipper did not suffer a very serious injury. The physio has adopted all the necessary precautionary measures to prevent Rohit's injury from aggravating any further.

“The blow didn’t look that serious, and the physio is taking precautions to ensure swelling, if any, subsides. There is still some time left for the Boxing Day Test to begin, and Rohit would hope the pain goes away."

Moreover, the report also described how Rohit reacted after getting hit on his left knee. The 38-year-old reacted in pain after getting hit. He removed his gear and sat on a chair with his left foot extended on another chair. The physio then applied the ice pack on the affected area to which Rohit responded with a certain degree of unpleasure. 

“The Indian captain removed his gear, settled into a chair, and the physio got the ice pack out. There was pain visible on the right-hander’s face when the pack was put on, and the physio later placed the left leg on a chair to get Rohit into a comfortable position."

Rohit's ongoing struggles in the BGT 2024-25

Rohit missed the first Test due to the birth of his second child. But his return to the series has not been an inspiring one. The T20 World Cup-winning captain has been woefully out of touch in the red-ball arena and has averaged just 6.33 in three Test innings down under.

We are more than halfway through the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Test series with India winning the first, Australia winning the second, and the third ending in a rain-marred draw. Jasprit Bumrah has by far been the most threatening bowler for the hosts to contend with. While he continues to give nightmares to the Australian batters, the rest of the Indian bowling contingent has blown hot and cold in this entire tour so far.

The likes of Rana, Reddy, and Siraj have produced mixed results which do raise a need for another specialist seamer to step in apart from Bumrah. In all fairness, the national side is desperately missing the services of the ace pacer Mohammed Shami who was at the top of his mark in last year's ODI World Cup.

Following his glorious World Cup campaign, Shami had to endure an extended injury layoff which forced him out of major cricketing events including the T20 World Cup. However, the speedster has regained his fitness and made a glorious return to domestic cricket with a four-wicket haul for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy.

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Will Shami make an appearance in the Boxing Day Test?

Of late, there have been growing reports to suggest that Shami could well play a role in the upcoming Boxing Day Test starting on December 26 in Melbourne. However, the claim has not been officially confirmed by any major source till now. Speaking at the press conference, the Indian Test skipper Rohit Sharma provided an update on Shami's availability and his potential participation ahead of the third Test. 

“I think it’s high time somebody from NCA talked about him. That’s our national cricket academy where he is rehabilitating. Those guys are the ones who need to come up and give us some kind of update." 

Shami is currently undergoing rehab at the NCA. Rohit is looking forward to receiving instructions from NCA on how they can move forward with his case.

Rohit does not want to risk it with Shami

Shami has been competing in several domestic games back in India and has had resounding success. But the Indian skipper is reluctant to make him go the extra mile if he is not 100% fit. Shami has reportedly faced issues with his knee and Rohit does not want to take any chances unless he gets detailed clarity about Shami's fitness. 

“But look, I understand he’s playing a lot of cricket back home, but there have been some complaints about his knee as well. The last thing you want is the player coming here and then pulling out in the middle of the game. You know what happens when that kind of thing happens."

Shami's fitness is subject to NCA's clearance and it all depends on the evolving needs of India's pace department in the ongoing BGT series which is currently level at 1-1. 

Day 3 of the 3rd Test match between India and Australia in Brisbane not only saw a challenging contest on the field but also ignited a wave of harsh criticism and sarcastic commentary on social media. As India faced struggles, the online platforms were flooded with debates, jabs, and calls for accountability. Here’s a breakdown of the key talking points making the rounds:

Virat Kohli’s Shot Selection Sparks Debate

Virat Kohli’s dismissal, caught behind after attempting a drive on a fifth-stump line ball, quickly became a hot topic on social media. Fans criticized his shot selection as reckless and unnecessary, questioning his ability to leave balls outside the off-stump. The dismissal sparked comparisons to Sachin Tendulkar’s famous innings in the 2003–04 Sydney Test, where Tendulkar showed the discipline to avoid risky shots like the cover drive. Fans even suggested watching his idol’s videos to learn how to avoid such dismissals, as Kohli has fallen to similar shots multiple times.

Rohit Sharma Faces Leadership Questions

Rohit Sharma has been in the spotlight, with social media buzzing with questions about his leadership. Critics have been questioning his abilities, especially after the team’s struggles. Rohit’s batting form is also a concern, although he remains not out at the end of Day 3. People are waiting for the next opportunity to either praise him or criticize him, depending on his performance on Day 4. His leadership has become a frequent topic of debate, with fans eager to see if he can lead India to a comeback.

Rain Sarcasm: India’s “Savior”

With rain interruptions dominating Day 3, social media users sarcastically suggested that only the weather could save India from a certain defeat. Jokes and memes circulated, mocking the team’s inability to counter Australia’s dominance and suggesting that rain was their only hope. This sentiment reflected the frustration of fans who, while hopeful, questioned India’s chances of winning without external factors coming into play.

Young Players Criticized

Young players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Rishabh Pant found themselves in the line of fire after their disappointing performances. Gill was criticized for his inconsistent batting, with many questioning his place in the team due to his relatively low batting average. Jaiswal, who was dismissed after just the second ball of the innings, found himself the target of mocking comments. This was especially pointed given his bold remarks during the Perth Test, where, after his impressive knock, he had taunted Australian bowler Mitchell Starc by saying, "You're too slow." Fast forward to the second Test in Adelaide, where Jaiswal was dismissed for a duck off the very first ball of the innings, and then again in this match, dismissed on just the second ball. Fans were quick to mock him, questioning his overconfidence and how quickly things turned around after his earlier comments to Starc. Pant, too, came under criticism after failing in five consecutive innings.

India has a difficult task ahead in the final days of the 3rd Test, but a comeback is within reach. Fans must stay supportive, offering both constructive feedback and encouragement as the team battles to recover.

While Australia and India are involved in the crucial third Test of the five-match Test series in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Indian captain Rohit Sharma chose to field first after winning the toss. There is a significant question that has arisen, especially after the first ten overs in the rain-interrupted first session, whether the Indian captain made the right call or not.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is a little bit under pressure at the present moment. India suddenly suffered a big setback by losing the home three-match Test series against New Zealand by 3-0, which shook their dominant top-place position in the 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship points table. 

Rohit Sharma hurt on Bengaluru Test decision

During the latest New Zealand tour of India, Indian captain Rohit Sharma made a wrong call in the Test series opener at Bengaluru, where he chose to bat first in the overcast condition. However, that decision backfired on the hosts, who were bundled out for only 46 runs in the first innings of that Test. 

While the ongoing BGT Test series is running with the 1-1 position before the crucial third Test at Brisbane, the toss decision is always going to be vital for every team. The first session of the crucial Gabba Test experienced two rain interruptions as Australia were batting at 28/0 in 13.2 overs. Although the Indian pacers didn’t set any easy opportunities to score runs in the shorter rain-interrupted first session, the Aussie openers were hardly challenged. 

Most recent record of the Gabba Test

Previously, the Gabba in Brisbane hosted a Test match between Australia and West Indies last January, which was a day-night pink ball Test match. West Indies ultimately stunned by winning that Test match by eight runs as the hosts Australia closely failed to chase the fourth innings target of 216 runs. It was Australia’s first defeat in the pink-ball Test match history, while West Indies ended their 21-year-long wait for winning a Test match against Australia. 

Although Australia failed to chase a 216-run fourth innings target in the Gabba Test, we can’t get the latest Test stories from this information because it is not a regular red-ball Test match. 

See Also: Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Top 5 Memorable Test matches played at the Gabba

Recent red-ball Test match records at the Gabba

Talking about the regular red-ball Test match records at the Gabba, the last five Tests experienced only the winning sides, who batted second in the Test matches. A first-batting team won a Gabba Test last time in November 2015, where the Baggy Greens claimed a dominant win against New Zealand by 208 runs. 

Since December 2011, only two out of the nine red-ball Gabba Tests have experienced successful results for the first batting teams. Meanwhile, all other seven Brisbane Tests ended with the second batting team’s successes.

The upper records clearly indicate that the Gabba Test pitches become more favourable for the batters with time progress. As the third Test of the ongoing BGT has started in overcast conditions, the Indian captain’s decision only felt more logical. 

Persistent rain waiting for the Gabba Test

Meanwhile, the ongoing Gabba Test can experience a big battle against the rain god. The opening-day shower not only interrupts the first session of the Test match, but also takes away more time from the opening day. The chance of the play in the remainder of the first day is getting weaker with the time progress. 

According to the weather forecast, there is a lesser chance of rain on Sunday as it has nearly a 50% chance of precipitation. However, the next three days will experience more rain, as each of the three days has a precipitation forecast of 70%. 

The detailed forecast suggests that Monday will experience more rain in the early morning and the evening. During the last two days of the Gabba Test, rain can be experienced mainly during the match.  

The weather forecast has a big indication of the Test match result, as we can experience a draw result in the case of insufficient match progression. The venue experienced its last Test draw in November 2012, when South Africa toured in Australia. 

India captain Rohit Sharma revealed on the eve of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that he would not open for India, instead, he would bat in the middle-order. He has also said that KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the batting for India in the second Test as well.

"Yeah, he will be opening the batting. I will bat somewhere in the middle," Rohit Sharma said in the press conference.

Rohit Sharma to bat in the middle-order

However, Rohit Sharma will sacrifice his preferred opening spot to KL Rahul after he did well in India's 295-run win in Perth. In Rohit's absence, Yashasvi and Rahul opened the batting for India and added a match-defining 201-run partnership in the second innings at the Optus Stadium as well.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has opened in 42 Tests, scoring nearly 3000 runs which came at an average of 44 with 9 tons as well. He also explained that he was thrilled to watch Rahul and Jaiswal dominate in Australia in the Perth Test. However, Rohit missed the first Test to be with his family during the birth of his second child and rejoined the team in Perth after a few days and started training with the pink ball during the first Test as well.

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KL Rahul did well in the second innings of the first Test

"And how I came to the decision of batting down the order is clearly we want results, we want success, and those two guys at the top... just looking at this one Test match, they batted brilliantly," Rohit said. "I was at home with my newborn in my arms, and I was watching how KL batted. It was brilliant to watch. I felt that there's no need to change that now. Maybe in the future, things will be different. I don't know."

"So based on what has happened and what KL Rahul has shown outside of India, he probably deserves that place at this point in time. It is something that has brought us success in the first Test. You have that one big partnership with Jaiswal on the other side, and you know, it probably won us the Test match. When you come here, in a place like Perth, and you get 500 runs or so, it’s such a massive tick in the box," he again shared.

"So I don't see why we need to change that. What I saw from the outside looked brilliant, and there was no need to change anything. It was actually pretty simple for me. Personally, not easy. But for the team, it made a lot of sense," Rohit Sharma concluded.

Indian captain Rohit Sharma is one of the Indian fan favourites, and we have already seen some of his crazy fans. Recently, Rohit fulfilled one of his fan’s ten years of long wait. 

The Indian team was busy on Sunday (December 1) during the invitational one-day practice match against Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval (Canberra). Although the Indian captain Rohit failed with the bat in that game, the Indians comfortably won that match and fully utilised that pink-ball practice match. 

Rohit Sharma couldn’t stop his laugh

On Monday (December 2), the BCCI official social media account published a video where Rohit was busy signing autographs for his uncountable passionate fans during their practice match at Canberra. Just like other Rohit fans, one of his fans couldn’t keep his patience to get an autograph from his star and was shouting Rohit’s name to get attention. The fan also told the Indian skipper that he waited 10 years for his autograph, which caused laughter in that place, and Rohit couldn’t stop laughing at that moment. 

The wait of a decade finally ends. A fan waited for 10 years to get a @ImRo45 autograph and yesterday was his lucky day😊 #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/miywxlE8gA

— BCCI (@BCCI) December 2, 2024

Last June, Rohit Sharma led the Indian national cricket team to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. It was India's second T20 World Cup title; they won their first trophy in the inaugural edition of the tournament (2007), where young Rohit was a key member.

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Captain Rohit Sharma is ready for Adelaide Test

Rohit is leading the Test team in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, a five-match Test series against the hosts Australia. He was absent for the Test series opener due to his parental leave. Due to his absence, Jasprit Bumrah was the stand-in captain for the Test series opener at Perth Stadium, where India thrashed the hosts by 295 runs and took a crucial 1-0 lead.

Adelaide Oval will host the second Test of the series, which will be a day-night pink ball Test match, starting on December 6. It will be India’s third, Australia’s 13th, and second Australia vs India day-night pink-ball Test match. 

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has departed for India and will not be present with the Indian team when it takes on Prime Minister's XI in Canberra in a two-day tour game on November 30. Gambhir is expected to be away due to personal reasons. 

However, more recently, a BCCI spokesperson revealed that the 43-year-old is expected to be back well in time before the start of the second Test in Adelaide which will be a D/N Test match. The Canberra tour game will be played during the day but with a pink ball in a bid to acclimatize to conditions presented in a day/night Test. 

Who will take charge in Gambhir's absence? 

While Gambhir is away for personal reasons, assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, and Morne Morkel will collectively be in charge of the Indian squad. 

India managed to make a stunning comeback after a humiliating series whitewash at home by thumping Australia by a mammoth 295 runs in the Pert Test. The mood in the camp is certainly positive after that win and with the inclusion of Rohit Sharma, India's lineup is only going to be strengthened a lot further. 

What will happen to the team composition if Gill becomes fit?

Gill was excluded from the first Test due to a fractured thumb. With a little under 10 days to go for the second Test, Gill still has ample time to recover from his injury. 

Should he become fit for the Adelaide Test, India will then have to free up two spaces in the batting lineup in order to accommodate him. There is no major update on Gill's fitness at the moment but the 25-year-old is highly unlikely to feature in the upcoming two-day tour game in Canberra. 

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