India vs Australia: Rohit Sharma clears fitness tests, to fly to Down Under: BCCI confirms

Team India's star batsman Rohit Sharma is all set to leave for Australia after clearing the fitness tests at NCA, the BCCI confirmed on Saturday, giving out more details of what was in store for the Hitman. The Mumbai Indians skipper picked up a hamstring injury during the IPL 2020 following which he missed the limited-overs series against Australia. However, BCCI confirmed that Rohit Sharma had been tested for batting, fielding and running between the wickets at the NCA and that the medical team was satisfied with the Hitman's physical fitness.

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BCCI informed that Rohit Sharma had been provided a detailed programme to follow for the two weeks he will be quarantined for. It also noted that the Hitman will be reassessed by the medical teams after the completion of his quarantine period to determine his selection for the Border-Gavaskar trophy. Although Rohit Sharma's fitness tests have returned satisfactory, the star opener has been asked to continue working on his endurance. 

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'Lack of clarity': Virat Kohli

"Before the selection meeting, we got a mail that he (Rohit Sharma) is unavailable, that he has picked up an injury during the IPL. It said that the pros and cons of the injury were explained to him and he understood and he was unavailable," Kohli said.

"After that, he played in the IPL and we all thought he would be on that flight to Australia and we had no information on why he is not traveling with us. There has been no information, there has been a lack of clarity. We have been playing the waiting game," the Indian captain further added.

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Can Team India do the unthinkable?

India have their task cut out once regular skipper Kohli leaves the Australian tour midway as they will have to play out of their skins in order to retain the iconic Border-Gavaskar Trophy that they had won a couple of years back on Australian soil by beating a depleted Australian side. Their star players Steve Smith and David Warner were handed a 12-month suspension from international cricket for their involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa in March 2018.  The odds are even this time as the Aussies will be fielding a full-strength squad that consists of Warner, Smith, Marnus Labuchagne, etc. The Tim-Paine led Australians are currently the top-ranked Test side and are also at the summit of the ICC World Test Championship.

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