Rohit Sharma has cleared his fitness test, meaning he will be joining the Indian squad and is all set to fly to Australia for the Test series. India’s limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma on Friday cleared an eagerly-watched fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru and will leave for Australia on December 14, three days before the start of the marquee Test series against the world’s number one team. Rohit had sustained a hamstring injury during the IPL, which led to him missing the white-ball leg of the ongoing tour. He is also out of reckoning for the first two Tests but can now be there for the last two games.

 

Rohit has cleared the fitness Test and will soon be flying out to Australia,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. Rohit’s fitness test took place under the supervision of NCA director and former Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid, who is entrusted with the responsibility of giving him his fitness certificate. Australia’s government’s rules state that the star batsman will have to undergo a mandatory 14 days of hard quarantine before being able to train for the last two Tests in Sydney (Jan 7 to 11) and Brisbane (Jan 15 to 19). He is flying straight to Sydney and will get a week’s training there. Rohit is likely to have a 14-day hard quarantine if he manages to reach Australia. After a week of training, the India opener is expected to be ready for the 3rd Test, which gets underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 7.

 

Rohit’s availability is key to India’s chances of making a mark in the Test series as skipper Virat Kohli will not be available after the series opener – a day-night fixture in Adelaide, starting December 17. Kohli will be returning home to be with his wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma for the birth of their child. Rohit Sharma was picked in India’s Test squad in Australia due to the hamstring injury he picked up during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020. Rohit braved the hamstring issue to play the play-offs and the final for Mumbai Indians even as he was initially left out from India squads.

By Arvind Krishnan

Cricket writer, statistician and analyst. An unorthodox media student, marketing runs in his blood. Sports Marketer and analyst.