With the India vs Australia series all set to begin on Friday, the anticipation for a close clash between the two teams is growing. India have lost only one ODI and T20I series against Australia in the last four years and there is a belief that the Indian cricket team can achieve the success of 2018/19 where they matched South Africa and became only the second team to win a series in all formats Down Under. However, the build-up for the entire tour has been marred by injuries to key players. The major blow is the absence of Rohit Sharma, who will not play potentially until the Sydney Test and that is a big IF.
The loss of Rohit Sharma for the ODIs and T20Is is massive. In the last five years, he is the leading run-getter in the world when it comes to ODIs against Australia. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the only players to score over 1000 runs in ODIs against Australia since 2016. In this, Rohit Sharma has outclassed Virat Kohli, managing 1352 runs with five centuries at an average of 64. Kohli, on the other hand, has 1289 runs at an average of 58 with five centuries.
However, the six-hitting capability of Rohit Sharma against Australia is unparalleled. In 22 games, he has hit 46 sixes which means minimum of two per game. The next highest is a distant 19 in 15 games by England opener Jason Roy. The six-hitting capability of Rohit Sharma set the tone at the top for India to assert their dominance over Australia. In the previous series against New Zealand which Rohit Sharma missed, India failed to have that aggression at the top and they lost the series 0-3.
There is no doubt about it. Rohit Sharma’s loss especially for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia is a massive blow and one that India would be desperately hoping that the likes of KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer make up in the middle order or at the top.
Big blow in Tests
Virat Kohli will be available for only the Pink Ball Test in Adelaide and he will miss the remaining three Tests as he will be on paternity leave. On the other hand, India are grappling with the absence of Ishant Sharma, who is recovering from an abdominal muscle tear but will need some more time for rehabilitation, putting his chances of featuring in the Australia Tests in jeopardy.
Ishant might have been the third figure during the brilliance of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in 2018/19 but he was credited with providing the breakthrough early on each occasion. His 11 wickets in the three Tests came at an average of 23 and his potency with the new ball and his ability to bowl new spells was simply magnificent on the previous tour. In the ICC World Test Championships, Ishant has taken 30 wickets in seven Tests at an average of 15, thus reaffirming his status as the premier strike bowler of the Indian cricket team.
The absence of Ishant, Rohit and Kohli for potentially three Tests has dented India’s resources. However, they have solid depth when it comes to the bowling. There is Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Umesh Yadav as back-up to Bumrah and Shami. On the batting front, they have suffered a big dent. Although Virat Kohli’s absence could open the door for Shubman Gill, India’s middle order will lack the X-factor.
However, in the previous series, Cheteshwar Pujara was the key but with him having played no cricket whatsoever since March, the onus will be huge on him. India’s batting will be the challenge in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at least for Melbourne, but on the bowling front, the Indian cricket team seems sorted.
