Star India batter Virat Kohli, along with his family, flew out to Australia on Saturday evening, marking the start of the Indian team’s departure for the highly anticipated Australia series. On Sunday, the first batch of players, including Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, left for Down Under, followed by the second batch, which includes senior players Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, as well as emerging talents like Sarfaraz Khan and Harshit Rana, along with coaching and support staff.
However, not all players are travelling together. Jasprit Bumrah will join the squad separately later in the day, with the reasons for his delayed departure still unknown. Meanwhile, KL Rahul, Dhruv Jurel, and Abhimanyu Easwaran are already in Australia and have checked into the team hotel in Perth.
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The Indian team is set to begin its preparatory camp on November 12 at WACA, although the first day may be optional based on the players’ individual schedules. In a major development, Indian captain Rohit Sharma has not yet traveled with the team, and his availability for the first Test remains uncertain.
#WATCH | Indian Cricket Team leaves for Australia from Mumbai Airport.
The Indian team will face Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this month, from November 22 onwards. pic.twitter.com/CwjZVrdl4U
— ANI (@ANI) November 10, 2024
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Rohit Sharma might miss the opening match of the series due to personal reasons, with confirmation expected soon. Head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed this during a pre-departure press conference, assuring fans that the situation would be clarified shortly.
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India finds itself under immense pressure following a dismal 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home, which has placed the team in a precarious position. To secure a spot in the World Test Championship final, India must win the upcoming five-match series against Australia 4-0. While India has historically performed well in Australia, the upcoming series presents a tough challenge.
Should Rohit miss the first Test, Bumrah will step in as captain, and either Abhimanyu Easwaran or KL Rahul will partner with Jaiswal at the top of the batting order.
