Virat Kohli leaves Australia with inspirational words for team as Rohit Sharma quarantines

Indian captain Virat Kohli has left the Australian shores to be with his wife Anushka Sharma in India. The cricketer is expecting the birth of his first child in January and is set to miss the final three Tests of India’s ongoing tour of Australia. Apparently, the skipper had some words of motivation for the rest of his teammates as he officially passed on the mantle of Team India’s captaincy to his deputy Ajinkya Rahane.

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India vs Australia 2020: Virat Kohli’s pep talk for Team India before departure

A BCCI official confirmed ANI that Virat Kohli has left Australia. The official stated that before departing, the skipper had a word with the entire team. As per the report, Kohli’s idea was to “boost the confidence of the boys and keep them positive” ahead of the remaining Test matches.

Virat Kohli also handed over his captaincy role to his deputy Ajinkya Rahane and asked the entire team to keep showing “intent” on the field. His motivational words came mere days after India’s abject batting surrender at the Adelaide Oval, where the entire team was shot out within an hour of Day 3.

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India vs Australia 2020: Team’s potential layout for Boxing Day Test

Apart from India’s 8-wicket surrender to hosts Australia at Adelaide, the visitors also suffered a major setback in the form of Mohammad Shami’s injury. The seasoned speedster is likely to sit out of the upcoming Boxing Day Test match, thus prompting interim captain Ajinkya Rahane to go ahead with Mohammed Siraj instead.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, who recently recovered from his injury, is currently quarantining in Sydney. The official source confirmed that “Rohit Sharma is safe and is in a bio-secure environment”. The Indian opening batsman is expected to join the rest of the Indian drawcards in time for the New Year Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

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India vs Australia schedule for remaining Tests

Here is a look at the entire India vs Australia schedule for the remaining matches of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series.

India vs Australia 2nd Test – Melbourne Cricket Ground between December 26 and December 30

India vs Australia 3rd Test – Sydney Cricket Ground between January 7 and January 11

India vs Australia 4th Test – The Gabba between January 15 and January 19

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Image source: BCCI Twitter