Rohit Sharma in doubt for India's first Test against Australia

There are growing concerns about India's captain Rohit Sharma's availability for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Reports suggest that he is unwilling to participate in one of the first two Tests due to personal reasons and has requested a temporary leave from the Test squad.

The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is set to begin on November 22 in Australia, with a five-Test series scheduled between India and Australia. If Rohit does not play, speculations arise about who will lead the team. It is anticipated that Jasprit Bumrah, the vice-captain in the recently announced squad for the New Zealand series, could take over captaincy in Rohit's absence.

In addition to the captaincy, there are questions regarding who will open the batting if Rohit is unavailable. One potential option is Abhimanyu Easwaran, who might be selected as the third opener to partner with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Alternatively, either Shubman Gill or Lokesh Rahul could also be brought in as an opener for one of the Tests.

Rohit has captained India in 18 Tests so far, winning 12 of them. He took over as Test captain in 2022, with most of his successes coming on home soil.

Jasprit Bumrah has previously led the team in Rohit's absence during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022, when Rohit was unable to play against England. Given this background, the likelihood of Bumrah captaining the team against Australia in Rohit's absence appears strong.