Team India's stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah on Thursday said that the team has moved past their surprising 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home and is focusing on the challenging Test series against Australia. Bumrah replaced Rohit Sharma as skipper for the series opener as Rohit missed the test due to the birth of his baby boy. We don't see bowlers taking up the captaincy role, Bumrah feels they are 'tactically better' than batters, and hence, should be given leadership responsibilities more often.

"It is an honour. I have my own style. Virat was different, Rohit was different. and I have my own way. It is a privilege. I don't take it as a position. I love taking responsibility. I spoke with Rohit earlier. But I got a little bit of clarity on leading the side after coming in here," Bumrah said in the press conference on the eve of the start of the Perth Test.

See Also:- “Pacers leading teams should happen more”: Pat Cummins

The Pacer further added while speaking about bowlers leading the team, "I have always advocated for pacers being captains. They are tactically better. Pat has done a phenomenal job. There are a lot of models in the past as well. Kapil Dev and lot of other captains in the past. Hopefully a start of a new tradition."

 

 

 

 

 

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"When you win you start from zero but when you lose, then also you also start from zero. We are not carrying any baggage from India. Yes, we have our learnings from the New Zealand series but those were different conditions and our results here have been different" said Bumrah who will lead the side in the opening Test in the absence of Rohit Sharma who is currently on Paternity leave.

Bumrah also said that the Team has finalised their Playing XI but he will reveal it at the toss.

Skipper Rohit Sharma is preparing to head to Australia in the next few days. He will join the Team in Perth on November 24, the third day of the First Test at Optus Stadium. His departure was delayed due to the birth of his second child.

Team India left for Australia in three batches between November 10 and 11 but Rohit Sharma stayed back for the birth of his second child. Skipper Rohit Sharma was blessed with a baby boy on November 15 and still, his travel plans to Australia were uncertain.

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Although some reports claimed that Rohit Sharma would arrive in Perth well ahead of the first Test on Friday (November 22) morning, it was always evident that he would postpone his travel. But now it is being confirmed that he has informed the concerned authorities Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he would join the squad on Sunday.

Team India will play the two-day pink-ball warm-up game against the Australian Prime Minister's XI before the day-night Test in Adelaide which starts on December 6.

India is all set to clash off against Australia in the first of the five-match Border Gavaskar 2024-25 Test series at the Optuis Stadium in Perth on November 22. India will be without the services of their frontline skipper Rohit Sharma who has decided to stay back and opt out of the first Test after the birth of his second child. Rohit had previously informed the BCCI of his decision to make himself available for the first Test since he understandably wanted to spend quality time with his family and celebrate the monumental occasion with them. 

In his absence, India's vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will fill in his shoes and lead the India side in the first Test. Bumrah has only captained India in on Test match so far which ended in a defeat against England in 2022. After being weakened by a horror Test series whitewash at home against New Zealand, Bumrah is expected to have a lot of burden on his shoulders and his fans would expect noting less as India looks to make a comeback from behind.

1983 WC winning player remains hopeful of Bumrah's captaincy 

Despite having limited expereince as a skipper, former Indian and World Cup match-winning player Kirti Azad came out in support of the speedster and stressed that no player in the squad is indispensable. Although he feels that Rohit's absense is more than likely to hurt Team India in this crucial Perth Test, Kirti has immense faith in Bumrah leadership skills and expects him to deliver the best. 

"Nobody is weak or strong by one player. But yes, Rohit, beiing the captain, has led from the front, he will be missed."

Currently aging 30, Bumrah will have to play a balancing act as he will need to manage the dual responsibilities of performing as a frontline seamer and the team's captain in Rohit's absense. Moreover, Kirti also lauds Bumrah's exceptional bowling skills and considers him as one of the most feared bowlers in world cricket. 

"I would say that yes, he's a sensible player. That's why he's got so many wickets. He's one of the most feared fast bowlers in the world. I'm sure he'll captain well."

Build up to the Perth Test

Rohit's poor show with the bat in recent times has been a cause for concern. Apart from the Bangladesh Test series, Rohit's numbers paint an alarming picture. the 37-year-old only managed 91 runs across three Tests against New Zealand at an average of less than 30.

On the other hand, Bumrah has been amongst the wickets off late and has been in destructive form in the Bangladesh Test series where he regularly knocked off the poles of the Bangladeshi batters. However, the 30-year-old went off colour and experienced a rare rough patch against the Black Caps at home where he only managed three wickets in the two Tests.  

See also: Watch: Virat Kohli and Rishab Pant burst into laughter as Sarfaraz Khan makes a fielding blooper

Team India Skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the First Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which starts on November 22 at the Optus Stadium in Perth. Rohit Sharma stayed back in India for the birth of his second child and will join the India Squad ahead of the Second Test in Adelaide a day-night match starting on December 4.

Rohit had communicated with BCCI and National Selectors in advance that he might miss the Perth Test. He had left the possibility of last-minute travel open, depending on the timing of the child's birth. Rohit and his wife welcomed their second child on Friday, a week before the first Test, raising the chance that he might travel to Perth. However, Rohit has communicated to BCCI that he will be available to play the two-day pink-ball warm-up game against the Australian Prime Minister's XI before the day-night Test in Adelaide.

See Also:- India vs India A match simulation update

Vice Captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in the absence of Rohit Sharma. Bumrah has led India in one Test previously, the fifth Test of their two-part 2021-22 tour of England at Edgbaston, when Rohit had tested positive for Covid-19. India lost that Test match by 7 wickets and the 5-match Series was tied at 2-2 with the first test being drawn at Nottingham.

India will begin their Test series with two key members missing from their top order, with Shubman Gill also set to miss the Perth Test due to a fractured thumb. KL Rahul and the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran were the top contenders to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal in Rohit's absence, but now there’s a possibility that both might play.

There is still no clarity about Skipper Rohit Sharma's plans to travel to Australia. His wife recently delivered a baby so it is expected that he will leave soon and the exact date is still to be known. Thus it is most likely that he will also miss the series opener and Pacer Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has no immediate plans to send Mohammed Shami to Australia.

Mohammed Shami makes a solid comeback to competitive cricket

The Team India Pacer Mohammed Shami made his return to competitive cricket almost after a year, he played a Ranji trophy game between Madhya Pradesh and Bengal in Indore. Pacer scalped four wickets in the first innings and three wickets in the second innings. Eventually, Bengal won the game by 11 runs. Meanwhile, Team Management suggests that Shami should play more domestic games before being included in the team again. This indicates that Shami might play for Bengal in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, which starts in about a week.

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The India A Team led by Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to return to India in the next 24 hours. However, Devdutt Padikkal will not accompany them as Team India Management has decided to retain the batter for the senior team, which will compete in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia over the next 50 days.

This decision has to be taken due to injuries and the unavailability of two key players. Top Order batter Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the series opener as he fractured his thumb during a simulation match at WACA. Skipper Rohit Sharma, who stayed back in India for the birth of his second child is also unlikely to be available for the First Test. KL Rahul also had an injury concern after being hit on the elbow, however, some good news from the camp is that KL Rahul batted during the Three-Day match simulation at  WACA on Sunday (17 November).

Devdutt Padikkal showed some resilience against Australia A

Padikkal recorded scores of 36, 88, 26, and 1 in his four recent innings against the Australia A team. Although these performances might not normally earn him a place in the senior national team, the management thinks his experience and knowledge of Australian conditions make him a good choice as a backup batter. Padikkal has been featured in the only Test against England this year. He has featured in T20Is as well.

India’s preparations for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth suffered a significant blow as Shubman Gill sustained an injury to his left hand during a simulated match at the WACA. Gill, fielding in the slips on the second day, was forced off the field after the incident and did not return for the rest of the session.

While the severity of the injury is yet to be assessed, concerns loom over Gill’s availability for the crucial first Test, which begins on November 22 at the Optus Stadium. This development adds further uncertainty to India’s top-order lineup, already in flux with captain Rohit Sharma potentially unavailable for the game due to personal commitments.

A growing batting dilemma

Gill’s versatility has made him a key part of India’s plans, with the management considering him both as a No. 3 batter and an opening option alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, with Rohit Sharma absent owing to the birth of his second child, India might need Gill at the top of the order.

Rohit’s wife, Ritika Sajdeh, gave birth to their second child on Friday, and the Indian captain had informed selectors of his likely unavailability for the Perth Test. There was speculation that Rohit might travel to Australia early to train with the team before returning for the child’s birth, but he ultimately chose to remain in India.

Compounding the issue, another opening option, KL Rahul, sustained an elbow injury on the first day of the training match and has not participated in subsequent sessions. Rahul was hit by a short ball and did not bat or take the field on Saturday, leaving his fitness in question.

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India’s backup plans and the road ahead

With injuries piling up, Abhimanyu Easwaran remains India’s only fully fit opening option in the squad. However, Easwaran’s inexperience at the international level makes him a gamble for the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar opener.

Gill, who batted twice on the first day of the simulation match, showcased his potential by scoring an unbeaten 42 in his second innings after managing 28 in the first. His absence would leave a significant void in India’s batting order, particularly given their recent struggles.

India are already reeling from a 3-0 whitewash in their T20I series against New Zealand, and the batting lineup’s fragility was a glaring issue. Without their captain and with Gill’s fitness uncertain, India’s top order faces a stern test against Australia’s pace-heavy attack in Perth.

The waiting game

As the Indian camp anxiously awaits updates on Gill’s condition, fans and selectors alike will hope for good news. Gill’s injury scare has highlighted the fragility of India’s squad depth, especially in overseas conditions where resilience and experience are crucial.

With less than a week to go before the series opener, India’s management faces tough decisions. Will Gill recover in time? Can Rohit Sharma make a last-minute appearance to stabilize the lineup? And will KL Rahul regain fitness?

For now, all eyes are on the medical updates and last-minute adjustments that could determine India’s fate in the series opener of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The 0-3 whitewash at home against the Black Caps has raised alarm bells within the BCCI administration, compelling them to revisit their 'A' program which involves bolstering their bench strength for the top-tier Indian team. As per a recent report from TOI, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is reportedly devising a strategy to create a player resource pool.

The 'A' program worked as a charm under the supervision of former India head coach Rahul Dravid who used to tour with developmental teams throughout the year thereby offering the highest degree of exposure to young budding India cricketers. 

The issues surrounding the 'A' program in the past

The 'A' program suffered a setback in the past following the advent of the Covid pandemic. These A tours presented a huge financial burden on the other boards as they refrained from sponsoring the India U-19 series and 'A' teams. Despite the pressing challenges, BCCI made concise efforts to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one that preceded India's Test tour of Australia. 

"Other boards have communicated to the BCCI that they can't bear the expenses of an 'A' tour. The BCCI has still tried to organize a couple of shadow 'A' tours like the one which precedes India's Test tour of Australia. Laxman is working on it to come up with a plan that will offer greater exposure to the next generation of cricketers," a source said.

The major reason behind several boards' reluctance to host the 'A' tours vastly stems from the financial implications. These tours do not generate any revenue and all the expenses have to be incurred by the local boards which makes the 'A' program a highly unsustainable prospect in the long run.  Laxman will have a tricky task at hand and needs to find a viable solution to make these tours more affordable. 

A look into India's most recent 'A' tour

India featured in an 'A' series earlier this year against the England Lions prior to the start of the five-match Test series against England. That series offered an all-round view to the selectors on the players' current standing which in turn provided a baseline for them to make suitable selections ahead of the competitive Test series. 

Moreover, the 'A' program also came into focus in India's previous BGT outing down under where the likes of Siraj, Thaku, Saini, and Sundar all of whom stepped up in the absence of senior players. These players were the by-product of the 'A' series that was scheduled just before the start of the series. On the back of some formidable performances in the 'A' series, these budding youngsters were able to book their place in the Indian playing Xl which subsequently triumphed under dire conditions to clinch the series by 2-1.  

See also: Nitish Reddy included in Ravi Shastri's playing Xl in the upcoming Perth Test

Former India National Cricket Team head coach Ravi Shastri has made some striking revelations in his playing Xl as India gears up to face off against Australia in the first Test in Perth. The commentator-turned-coach recently made his India playing XI public just before the start of the much-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. 

Ravi Shastri's predicted XI (in Rohit Sharma's absence): Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja/Washington Sundar, Nitish Reddy, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.

Nitish Reddy set to make his red-bal debut for India

Shastri claims that pace-bowling all-rounder Nitish Reddy has every possibility of making his maiden Test appearance for India in the first BGT Test. As per Shastri, the aspiring all-rounder can be seen as a highly useful commodity and who can play a valuable supporting role along with three primary pacers Bumrah, Siraj & Akash Deep on pacey Australian decks. Moreover, the former India head coach holds a strong opinion on Nitish Reddy and feels that he can replicate a part of what Shardul managed to achieve in the earlier BGT Test series. 

"I think the three I would pick straight away is Aakash Deep, (Mohammed) Siraj, and Bumrah and then they (selectors) have to see the balance. Do they want two spinners? Do they want to risk going in with two spinners or do they want to take Nitesh Reddy? Nitesh Reddy will have to do a job like Shardul Thakur did as the fourth seamer."

Ravi Shastri further stressed including one spin bowling all-rounder in the form of Washington or Jadeja and refrain from the risk of fielding two frontline spinners.

Shastri throws light on bolstering India's batting department   

With Rohit's absence from the first Test becoming increasingly likely with every passing day, India needs an astute batter to support Jaiswal and Gill at the top. In order to facilitate this change, Shastri advises Gill to move down the order to number 3. The management will have to then take a bold call to either select KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran who have been originally drafted into the squad as designated openers. 

"That's a tough one and selectors have a choice. You can push Shubman (Gill) back up the order and he has opened in the past in Australia. Otherwise, you'll have to then make an alternative. Easwaran hasn't done that well (for India A in Australia). But it's how he's batting in the nets, how Rahul is batting in the nets. But that Shubman Gill option is also there."

Moreover, in Shastri's view, India's top-order wicket-keeper batter Dhruv Jurel can come in as a frontline batter who can be handy with his keeping skills. Although Pant has permanently sealed the spot of the wicket-keeper batsman, Jurel has demonstrated tremendous maturity with the bat in recent times.  

See also: Virat Kohli undergoes scan: Reports

India cricket team captain Rohit Sharma and his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, confirmed the birth of their second child in the form of a baby boy on Friday, November 15. Being parents to their daughter Sumaira who was born in 2018, the couple is yet to officially make this delightful news public to the fans. The couple had managed to keep Ritika’s pregnancy under secrecy for an extended period of time. 

The news only managed to break out when uncertainty surrounding Rohit's participation in the Perth Test began gaining traction. Rohit opted for a paternity break to celebrate the arrival of his baby boy on this auspicious moment. However, the name of the new baby boy is yet to be ascertained at this stage. As Rohit is expected to be away with his family on this momentous occasion, there are doubts about whether or not the Indian skipper will be ready in time to lead his side ahead of the first Test.

Rohit puts in the hard yards at the nets

Despite missing the training sessions in Australia due to the birth of his newborn child, Rohit remains committed to his game. While his entire brigade is away playing intra-squad matches in Australia, the 38-year-old was seen practicing tirelessly in the nets in Mumbai and looks more than determined to keep himself match-ready in case he gets a chance to make himself available for the all-important BGT Test series.

However, the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir in a recent press conference confessed that he is doubtful regarding Rohit's participation in the Perth Test but remains optimistic about his availability for the remainder of the Test series. But it has also come to light that Rohit may just be available on time for the first Test if things go according to play back home and BCCI is leaving no stone unturned to make the Indian skipper's availability a seamless affair. 

Rohit's poor Test run in recent times 

Being a genuine match-winner and a hero to the nation, the Indian skipper has come under immense fire following the conclusion of the Test series against the Black Caps at home which resulted in a shocking 0-3 whitewash. Not only did his poor captaincy skills come under the scanner, Rohit's inability to dominate spin and pace also came to the fore which has since raised alarm bells on his woeful form ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy. 

In that series, Rohit averaged barely 16 and only managed to surpass fifty once in six innings. Moreover, the former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also came hard on him in the aftermath of the New Zealand Test series advising him to give up the entire captaincy in case if he wished to remain unavailable for the series opener. If that were to happen, India's vice-captain, Jasprit Bumrah would take over the captaincy role in Rohit's absence.

Despite his poor run, Rohit's experience is surely invaluable in such hostile conditions and to not have him for the first Test could pose significant challenges to India who fighting hard to stay alive in the WTC final race.  But the joy of welcoming a new life takes precedence over national duties fans will be curious to see how the living Indian legend goes about balancing his family responsibilities with his cricketing commitments during this make-or-break Test series.

See also: Ritika Sajdeh salutes Aaron Finch's support for Rohit Sharma amidst criticism