Team India will commence the Border-Gavaskar Trophy without its first choice captain, Rohit Sharma . The India captain recently welcomed his second child with wife Ritika Sajdeh, and thus wishes to stay with the family, thereby extending the break. In his absence, vice captain Jasprit Bumrah will put on the captaincy shoes. Rohit will join the team ahead of the second Australia vs India Test, scheduled to begin on December 6, at the iconic Adelaide oval.

Rohit Sharma To Miss Border Gavaskar Trophy Opener vs Australia

Rohit Sharma ruled out of first Test against Australia in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, scheduled to start on November 22. The Indian captain’s status for the 1st Test was doubtful from the outset. However, following the birth of his second child, it was expected that he would make it just on time for the BGT opener. However, he has decided to stay back in the wake of the birth of his second child with his wife Ritika Sajdeh.  

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Jasprit Bumrah Will Take The Captaincy Onus, But Who Will Open?

As Rohit Sharma has opted out of the 1st Test, vice captain Jasprit Bumrah has been handed the captaincy helm. It will his second assignment as the captain in the white jersey. The headache however won’t palliate with the change in captaincy shoes. As Rohit Sharma opens the innings for India, the void at the top will be felt, especially when there is a dearth of substitutes. Shubman Gill was touted as the likely replacement, but he too has reportedly sustained a finger injury. Thus, the uncertainty over the opening slot is a real concern.

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What’s At Stake?

After enduring a humiliating 0-3 whitewash against New Zealand at home, the precious WTC final slot has seemingly slipped from Team India’s hands. Yet, the spot is still in the sights but to acquire that, Team India would have to pull off an unprecedented victory. To sail through the WTC Final, India would have to beat Australia in Australia by a margin of 4-0 at least. It has never happened before, but Team India has summoned miracles against Australia in their backyard before and would not be counting out the chances to attain something extraordinary again.