Rohit Sharma set to join squad in Perth on Sunday

Perth: India skipper Rohit Sharma who will miss the first Test due to the birth of his child is set to join the team here on Sunday. The development was confirmed by the team management.

The Indian skipper has been hard at work in the nets in Mumbai but this will now give him more than enough time to be acclimatised and work himself into the right intensity before the tour game in Canberra which begins on November 30.

That said, this will also ensure that he goes into the second Test at Adelaide, which begins on December 6, thoroughly in tune with what the team is thinking and feeling.

His presence in the dressing room will also give the younger batters a chance to pick his brains during the first Test and stand-in skipper Bumrah might also want to do the same. But more than that, his relaxed poise will help settle the nerves of a young team.

Rohit’s record in Australia and against Australia isn’t great. In 12 matches against the team from Down Under, he has made 708 runs at an average of 33.71. In Australia, his record is even poorer — 408 runs at an average of 31.38. But he brings a wealth of experience to a batting line-up that lacks it.

He has played against the Aussies in three away tours of 2014/15, 2018/19 and 2020/21 and knows the opposition and the conditions well. With Shubman Gill also expected to come back, India will finally be back to full strength.

Mohammed Shami has also started playing cricket again and even though bowling coach Morne Morkel had said that there is a huge difference between playing Ranji Trophy and getting back to Test cricket, Bumrah was more hopeful.

“Shami bhai has started to play cricket, and obviously an integral part of this team. I’m sure the management is also keeping a keen eye, and hopefully things fall in place, and it’s a long series, you might see him here as well,” said Bumrah on Thursday.