Former Australia cricketer Aaron Finch has come out in support of India skipper Rohit Sharma as he’s likely to miss the first Test of the upcoming series vs Australia. Notably, India and Australia are all set to lock horns in a five-match series beginning from November 22. However, India captain Rohit is unsure whether he will play in the first Test as he’s likely to miss it due to a personal reason.
Recently, legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar commented on the matter and said that vice captain Jasprit Bumrah should be handed the captaincy for the entire series. Gavaskar’s comments haven’t gone down well with Finch who said that Rohit should be with his wife as it’s a special moment for his family. While the India skipper hasn’t confirmed the reason behind his absence, it’s been widely reported that he’s expecting his second child wife Ritika Sajdeh.
“I disagree with Sunny on that totally. Rohit Sharma is the captain of the Indian cricket team. If you need to stay at home because your wife’s going to have a babyâæ that’s such a beautiful momentâæ and you take all the time that you need in that regard,” Finch said on Around the Wicket podcast.
The India skipper was asked whether he would be missing the first Test during the post-match press conference after the third Test in Mumbai and he said that he wasn’t too sure.
India’s WTC final scenario
“Right now, I am not too sure whether I’ll be going, but let’s see. Fingers crossed,” Rohit Sharma said after the third Test match in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, after suffering a humiliating whitewash against New Zealand on home soil, India find themselves in a precarious position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The Rohit Sharma-led side is on the second spot in the standings having a points percentage of 58.33% and now need to win four out of their next five matches to qualify for the WTC final on their own.
Hence, India desperately need to beat Australia in the upcoming series to qualify for their third consecutive final which seems like a herculean task at the moment.
