INDIA’S INJURED DUO TO MISS FIRST TWO TESTS, DOUBTFUL FOR REMAINING TWO

NEW DELHI: Ishant Sharma and Rohit Sharma, currently nursing rib cage and hamstring injuries at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, are likely to miss the first two Tests against Australia and are also doubtful for the remaining two.

Both Ishant and Rohit suffered injuries during the IPL in the UAE. While the former missed most of the T20 league, the latter played in three matches, including the final, after claiming to have recovered from his hamstring problem. Both were, however, selected for the Tests, starting in Adelaide on December 17, provided they attained match fitness.

“The NCA has given a report that both Rohit and Ishant will take at least another three to four weeks to get match fit,” a BCCI source told PTI on Tuesday. “Even if they travel now they will have ‘hard quarantine’ since they will travel by commercial flight. Hard quarantine means not being able to train during the 14 days like the whole team unless Cricket Australia can convince the government and allow them to train during quarantine.”

However, CA interim CEO Nick Hockley said the 14-day quarantine was mandatory. It also means that there is very little chance of Virat Kohli, who will return to India after the first Test for the birth of his first child, going back for the series.

“I think quarantine arrangements are well prescribed. Our focus is ensuring that training conditions, within that mandatory 14-day period, are optimal for all the players. In relation to Kohli’s plans post the first Test, we have had no discussions,” Hockley said in a media interaction on Tuesday. The second Test is in Melbourne (Dec 26-30) followed by Sydney (Jan 7-11) and Brisbane (Jan 15-19).

Hit financially by the pandemic, CA has laid off staff in April. It also saw the T20 World Cup, which it was supposed to host, being shifted to 2022. Amid these developments, India’s tour is expected to give a financial boost though its biggest star Kohli will miss majority of the Test series. “We absolutely respect Virat’s decision. But it will have no financial bearing on Cricket Australia,” Hockley said.