India will begin their highly anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia without their captain, Rohit Sharma, who is set to miss the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium starting November 22. Sharma, who stayed back in India for the birth of his second child, has communicated to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he will not be available for the opening Test but will rejoin the squad ahead of the second Test in Adelaide, which will be a day-night affair beginning December 6.
Rohit’s absence is a significant blow to India, especially as they will also be without key opener Shubman Gill, who is sidelined with a fractured thumb. With the top order reshuffled and injury concerns hovering over some other players, India’s team selection for the first Test is poised to be a balancing act, but one that could offer some fresh faces the opportunity to make their mark.
Bumrah to Captain in Rohit’s Absence
In Rohit’s absence, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will step into the role of captain for the first Test, leading India in what will be only his second time in charge of the Test team. Bumrah has previously led India in the fifth Test against England at Edgbaston in 2021 when Rohit tested positive for Covid-19, and now, he takes the reins once again, this time in the high-pressure setting of a Test series on Australian soil.
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Top Order Shuffle
India will also begin the series without their full-strength top order. With Rohit and Gill both unavailable, the team’s opening combination is uncertain. KL Rahul, who was briefly in doubt after taking a blow to the elbow during an intra-squad practice match at the WACA, has been cleared to play and could partner with either the uncapped Abhimanyu Easwaran or the experienced Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top. Rahul’s fitness was a concern after he was forced off the field during the practice game, but he made a strong recovery, batting for an hour the following day, easing fears of a long-term injury.
Another top-order option for India could be Devdutt Padikkal, who is part of the squad after playing in India A’s shadow tour of Australia earlier this year. Padikkal, who made his Test debut in 2024 against England in Dharamsala, could add more depth to India’s batting lineup.
Potential for Debuts
With both Rohit and Gill missing from the top three, there could be a debut in the offing for one of India’s rising stars. One potential debutant is Nitish Kumar Reddy, a versatile allrounder from Andhra. Reddy, who has impressed in domestic cricket with his batting and occasional medium-fast bowling, could slot into the middle order or as a lower-order batter in India’s reshuffled lineup.
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Reddy is joined by another potential debutant, Harshit Rana, a fast-bowling allrounder from Delhi, who has been part of the squad’s preparations in Perth. Both players are yet to make their Test debuts, but with India’s batting lineup thinner than expected, the team may look to add additional depth by opting for one of these young allrounders, especially if conditions at Optus Stadium favor a seam-heavy attack.
New Coaching Era for India
This series marks India’s first overseas Test tour under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is accompanied by a coaching staff including former South African pacer Morne Morkel, ex-India cricketer Abhishek Nayar, and former Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate. The coaching staff will have their work cut out for them, especially after India’s recent whitewash at home against New Zealand, their first-ever 3-0 defeat in a home Test series.
Gambhir and his team will be looking to turn things around on Australian soil, where India has traditionally struggled to assert dominance in Test cricket. The absence of key players like Rohit and Gill makes India’s task even more daunting, but it also opens the door for new players to step up and make a name for themselves.
The Road Ahead
With just a few days to go before the first Test, India’s preparation at the WACA will be key to acclimatizing to Australian conditions. The squad will shift from the WACA to Optus Stadium on Tuesday, and the pressure will be on the team to deliver in this high-profile series. Whether they can recover from the setbacks of missing their captain and top-order stalwart, or whether fresh faces like Jaiswal, Easwaran, and Reddy will rise to the occasion, will be the story of India’s Test series in Australia.
As the countdown to the first Test begins, all eyes will be on Bumrah’s leadership and how India’s reshuffled batting lineup fares against a formidable Australian attack in what promises to be a thrilling contest.
