Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

Rohit & Ishant Sharma to miss Test series – Reports | Concern for Indian cricket team as Rohit and Ishant are doubtful for the Australia Test series

According to reports on Tuesday, Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma are likely to miss the Australia-India Test series, as the recovery from their respective injuries is seeming to take more time than originally planned.

The first Test is scheduled at Adelaide on December 17. The 14-day quarantine period imposed by the Australian government makes it mandatory for Rohit and Ishant to prove their fitness and leave in the coming two-to-three days. However, going by the media reports, setbacks in Rohit’s hamstring injury and Ishant’s ribcage injury makes their trip doubtful.

There has been no communication between the National Cricket Academy and Indian team management regarding their return yet. Indian coach Ravi Shastri said of Rohit speaking to ABC Sports that things could get difficult if he’s asked to wait for too long because then you’re talking of the quarantine again, which might make it really tough for even him to come just in time for the Test series.

“He was never going to play the white-ball series, they were just looking to see how long he needed the rest because you can’t afford to be resting for too long,” Shastri said on Rohit not being part of the limited-overs squads. “If you need to play in the Test series or any red-ball cricket, you’ve got to be on the flight in the next three or four days. If you aren’t, then it’s going to be tough.”

While updating the squads for the Australia tour, the BCCI had said: “The BCCI Medical Team has been monitoring Rohit Sharma’s fitness and has briefed All-India Senior Selection Committee on the same. In consultation with Sharma, it has been decided to rest him for the ODIs and T20Is in Australia to regain full fitness and he has been included in India’s Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.”

If Rohit misses the Test series, it would put the Indian team in a tricky spot considering skipper Virat Kohli’s return after the first Test match. Though the team has KL Rahul as a back-up opener, India will still miss the quality that Rohit delivers.

Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.