Gambhir said one of KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran or even Shubman Gill are available to open if Rohit doesn’t make it
Rohit Sharma could miss the opening Test in Perth • AFP/Getty Images
India head coach Gautam Gambhir is hoping that captain Rohit Sharma will be available for the first Test against Australia in Perth, though he is happy with the options he has in case Rohit doesn’t make it.
“At the moment, there is no confirmation but we will let you know exactly what the situation will be. Hopefully he’s going to be available, but everything we’re going to get to know at the start of the series,” Gambhir said at a press-conference before the team’s departure to Australia.
A group of five players – Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Gill, Washington Sundar and Jaiswal – have already left for Australia, while the rest of the squad will leave later today, but Gambhir didn’t confirm if Rohit will be on that plane or not.
As reported earlier, Rohit is a doubt for the first Test owing to personal reasons, but there is no clarity on his status. Which raises two questions. The first, who will open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal if Rohit isn’t there. “Obviously there is [Abhimanyu] Easwaran and there is [KL [Rahul] there. So we will take a call closer to the first Test match if Rohit is not available,” Gambhir said. “There are options there, it’s not that there are no options there. There are quite a few options in the squad.
“Once it gets closer to the first Test match, we’ll plan and play the best playing XI that’s going to do the job for us.”
Rahul and Abhimanyu opened for India A in the second four-day match against Australia A, but both returned low scores. Abhimanyu, who also played the first game of that series, returned scores of 7, 12, 0 and 17 across the two games, while Rahul made 4 and 10 in the two innings in his only game.
Rahul looked set for a new role as a middle-order batter in Tests, but Rohit’s potential absence has shifted him back in contention at the top of the order.
“There are times when you go with the experienced players as well. And that is the quality of the man. That he can bat at the top of the order, he can bat at No. 3 and he can actually bat at No. 6 as well,” Gambhir said. “You need quite a lot of talent to be doing these kinds of jobs as well. And he’s kept wickets in the one-day format as well.
“Imagine how many countries have players like KL who can open the batting and can bat at No. 6 as well? So I feel if need be, he can do the job for us, especially if Rohit is not available for the first Test match.”
Rahul has plenty of experience facing the new ball in overseas conditions and is one of two Asian openers to have scored centuries in Australia, England and South Africa.
Shubman Gill is another option available in the squad, having made his Test debut as an opener during India’s last visit to Australia.
“We will try and get the best combination possible who can do the job for us in Perth. And be it Shubman opening the batting or Easwaran or KL, it all depends on what we feel is the right combination,” Gambhir said.
The second question has to do with captaincy. Gambhir kept it simple: “[Jasprit] Bumrah is the vice-captain so obviously he will [be the captain] if Rohit is not available.”
Bumrah has previously captained India in one Test – against England at Edgbaston in 2022.
Rohit had said in a press conference after India’s 0-3 defeat in the home Tests against New Zealand that he “wasn’t too sure if I’ll be going to [Perth]”.
The Perth Test will begin on November 22.
