India captain Rohit Sharma in doubt for first Test against Australia

India’s Test tour of Australia has been thrown into turmoil before it has even begun, with captain Rohit Sharma in doubt for the Border-Gavaskar series opener and their only warm-up match scratched from the schedule.

Fresh off his side’s historic 3-0 Test series capitulation to the Black Caps, Rohit said a he was no certainty to play in the Perth Test starting on November 22.

“Right now I am not too sure whether I will be going, but let’s see. Fingers crossed,” the opener said on Sunday.

If Rohit was to miss the first Test, it is likely pace star Jasprit Bumrah would take over as captain in a head-to-head showdown with Australia’s skipper Pat Cummins.

The absence of Rohit for personal reasons would come as a blow to the tourists, who are already reeling from being clean-swept in a home series for the first time in their history.

It would also come after former captain Virat Kohli missed the majority of their last Test tour of Australia for the birth of his child.

On that occasion, India still won 2-1 with a famous victory in Brisbane.

Rohit confirmed on Sunday India have made changes to their plans ahead of the first Test at Optus Stadium.

A three-day match had been organised against the touring India A side at the WACA, with fans and broadcasters to be locked out.

But that has now been scrapped and will be replaced with a centre-wicket practice, allowing their batters more time in the middle after the woeful home series.

“I don’t know how much workload we can get done in those three days in terms of getting everyone prepared,” Rohit said.

“If a batter gets out (in a match), he has to sit in the dugout for the whole day and doesn’t get too much of batting done.

“Whereas in match simulation (now), the batters can go out and play 50-to-70 balls and then if you feel that he’s had enough, we can retire him out.

“The batters can spend more time in the middle, batting in the middle, and then the bowlers as well can bowl a lot of balls.”

India’s batters struggled for any time in the middle in their series defeat to the Black Caps.

Virat Kohli’s average of 15.5 was his worst in a series of at least three Tests since the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, facing 173 balls across the three matches.

Rohit averaged a lowly 15.16, while his former opening partner KL Rahul was dropped after scores of 0 and 12 in the first Test.

Wickets in Australia will present a different challenge for India than the turning pitches of the sub-continent, but they have still been less batter-friendly in recent years.

One of the few positives for India was the form of Rishabh Pant, who has now averaged 46.88 in five Tests since his return from his serious 2022 car crash.