Rohit Sharma during a training session.
Indian batting star Rohit Sharma resumed training for the first time in the Indian camp after he was seen training with batting coach Vikram Rathour on Thursday ahead of the Sydney Test vs Australia from January 7. The 33-year-old opener trained alone as the rest of the Indian squad enjoyed their 2-day rest.
The engine is just getting started and here is a quick glimpse of what lies ahead. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/3UdwpQO7KY
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 31, 2020
"It's only Rohit Sharma, three throw down guys, and the batting coach. The rest of the boys are on holiday for 2 days but Rohit Sharma out there training," reported Sports Today.
Rohit had joined the rest of his teammates at a Melbourne hotel after landing in the Australian city post the completion of the 14-day mandatory quarantine period in Sydney.
Look who's joined the squad in Melbourne 😀
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 30, 2020
A warm welcome for @ImRo45 as he joins the team 🤗#TeamIndia #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/uw49uPkDvR
"So how was your quarantine, my friend," chief coach Ravi Shastri was heard asking Rohit in a video posted by BCCI. Rohit replied by saying he's feeling younger.
In the video, Rohit can be seen exchanging greetings with Cheteshwar Pujara, Umesh Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj and batting coach Vikram Rathour.
Shastri said the medical team will look at how the player is physically after completing his quarantine before a call is taken on his inclusion in the playing XI for the third Test against Australia in Sydney.
"We will have a chat with him to see where he is placed physically because he has been in quarantine for the last couple of weeks. We'll also see how he feels before we take the call," Shastri had said in the post-match press conference after India's win on Tuesday.
On December 11, the BCCI had announced that the opener cleared the eagerly-watched fitness test at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, paving the way for his departure for Australia ahead of the four-Test series.
Rohit had sustained a hamstring injury during the IPL, which led to him missing the white-ball leg and the first two Tests of the ongoing tour. It remains to be seen who makes way for Rohit from the side that trounced Australia in the second Test.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar had backed the swashbuckling Mumbaikar to open the batting Mayank Agarwal, with Gill being pushed down to the middle-order. Gavaskar said that Rohit should replace Hanuma Vihari in the batting set-up.
“I will have Mayank – Rohit opening, Gill in the middle order, and Vihari goes out for the third Test,” Gavaskar said.
