IND v AUS 2020: 'Nobody in the BCCI knows who asked Rohit Sharma to head to the NCA'

Dismissing speculations that Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma won’t be joining the Indian Test squad to face Australia next month at all, sources in the know of things in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed that they are now faced with logistical issues to send the two players Down Under.

While Rohit Sharma suffered a left hamstring tear on October 18, Ishant was ruled out of the recently concluded IPL 2020 on October 12 with a left internal oblique muscle tear. The duo were thus not a part of the initial 18-member squad announced for the 4-Test series.

Rohit Sharma’s fitness assessment is scheduled for December 11 at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. But there are concerns over whether they will be available on time for the Test matches after flying out and completing the two-week mandatory quarantine in Australia.

“But the problem is that there’s a 14-day mandatory state quarantine in Australia. Even if he is allowed to travel on the 12th, how will he fly? There are no commercial flights. And even if he manages to fly, he has to undergo the two-week solitary quarantine. When will he be available, subject to fitness...We all knew he was never going to fly,” say those tracking developments.

On the other hand, NCA director Rahul Dravid had stated a month ago that Ishant Sharma would require four weeks to be fit and then another three to four weeks of training to attain match fitness. In essence, he is set to be available on December 17 – the first day of the opening Test.

“But then, he has to undergo a 14-day quarantine. What’s the point? And solitary quarantine can drive anyone crazy. By the time he regains any sanity, three Tests will be over. Does the team really need this?” the BCCI source reasoned.

‘Rohit Sharma was expected to board the flight with the rest of the team,’ say sources

Rohit Sharma during the 2019 World Cup in England

There are talks that had Rohit Sharma travelled with the rest of his teammates on November 12, he would have completed his self-isolation period and regained match fitness before the commencement of the Test series. Instead, the Mumbai Indians skipper went to the NCA for reasons best known to him.

“Rohit Sharma was expected to board the flight with the rest of the team on November 12. But he chose not to and instead headed to the National Cricket Academy. Nobody in the BCCI knows who asked Rohit to head to the NCA...Whatever the confusion, it has dented the team’s preparations."

"Virat has to return because it’s personal and very important. Rohit had done the same on the previous Test [tour] of Australia. It’s unfortunate that the team will suffer for lack of communication,” added the source.

India’s 2020/21 tour of Australia kickstarts on November 27 with a six-match limited-overs series in Sydney and Canberra, before heading on to the Test series. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy starts with a pink-ball game at the Adelaide Oval on December 17.