XtraTime Web Desk: Stand in captain Rohit Sharma led the team very well in the recently concluded T20I series against Windies, but this time it would be pretty tough for hitman if he gets a chance in the playing XI for the first test against Australia after a long gap which is set to begin from December 6 in Adelaide. He played his last test match earlier this year against South Africa at Centurion. But after that the fiery batsman was out from the test team due to his strings of poor score. Now after a long gap of 10 months the selectors have again picked him for the Test series against Australia after seeing his supreme form at home against the Windies. Though it would be a different ball game in the down under but the selectors are doing everything they can to help Rohit to succeed in Australia. He is going with the India A team to New Zealand to take part in a four-day warm up game ahead of going to Australia. If he plays the warm-up game it would be difficult for him to reach Australia ahead of the first T20I which will be played on November 21 and the warm-up game will begin from November 16. But for Rohit & the team management the warm-up game is much more important than the T20I as if India wins a test series in Australia they will become the first Indian side to do so. Rohit himself knows it preety well and he is up for it as well.
“Test matches are something I was looking forward to for a long time. So it will be nice to go out there and play a Test match again for India. But then, we have the T20Is (three-match series) and practice games before the first Test. So I am not thinking too far ahead now,” Rohit opened up after India completed a 3-0 whitewash against the Windies.
It would be a do or die situation for the Mumbaikar as the talented fellow hasn’t done that well in the longer format of the game despite of getting so many chances. Though he started his test career with a bang has he hit two back to back tons in his first two matches, but failed to take the momentum ahead as he only has 1479 runs in 25 matches and his average is 39.97.
Though as far as Rohit, it will be an all new start for him when he will land in Australia. “As a batsman, I don’t think what I have done in the past. Every game is a new game. Every time I go out there in the middle, I keep things simple. This game is simple if you keep it simple. If you overthink, it can get complicated. So it is important to stay in present. It is important to start well in Australia and then, take it from there. If I try and stay in present, it works for me,” Rohit said.