CHENNAI: Chances of Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma featuring in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy appear remote and the Indian team is still awaiting a final word on the players.
The two, who are undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, have to leave for Sydney before the weekend to be in contention for the Tests. But that appears unlikely.
It is understood that Rohit, who tore his hamstring, is making slow progress and will need a minimum of two weeks to recover. Although that is enough time for him to be considered for the second Test starting on Boxing Day, he has to fly to Australia in the next couple of days because there is a mandatory 'hard' quarantine period of 14 days, during which he can't step out of his hotel room.
With regards to Ishant, who resumed bowling last week, workload remains a concern as he doesn't have enough overs under his belt. Since injuring his leg during the tour of New Zealand, the pacer bowled just three overs in an IPL match before getting injured again. Selectors are keen on him playing at least one practice match before considering him for selection.
India have two practice matches, the second of which is on December 11. But for Ishant to play in that, he has to fly to Sydney by Thursday to complete the quarantine. It is understood that the Indian team management is not keen on taking chances with the pacer, particularly after what happened in New Zealand where he struggled with his fitness towards the end of the first innings of the first Test.
While not much could have been done about Ishant's injury, the manner in which the BCCI handled Rohit's injury continues to raise eyebrows. After pointing fingers at NCA in the past, the BCCI has only itself to blame for failing to stop the opener from turning up for the Mumbai Indians when its medical team had ruled him out of the white-ball leg of the Australia tour as early as October 26. It was the same day that the BCCI was told that Virat Kohli would return home after the first Test.
In an ideal world, BCCI should have stopped Rohit from playing in the IPL, keeping the national team's interests in mind, especially when it was aware that Kohli won't be available. Instead, they let him decide on his own.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly revealed Rohit played IPL only at 70 per cent fitness, but why he was allowed to do so has not been explained.
Ganguly has previously said how challenging it will be to win in Australia. So, why did neither he nor BCCI secretary Jay Shah step in and stop Rohit from playing the IPL?