Australia vs India: Rohit Sharma steps in to bowl after injury concerns for Navdeep Saini

Rohit Sharma has an IPL hat-trick to his name, representing the defunct Deccan Chargers against his current team Mumbai Indians back in 2009. However, with only 171.5 overs and 11 wickets, the 33-year-old hasn’t gotten many chances to bowl for Team India at the international level. But in India’s fourth Test against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane, he had to roll his arms over.

Rohit generally bowls slow off-breaks, but on Friday, January 15, he resorted to bowling medium pace, keeping in mind the playing conditions. He had to bowl a single ball after yet another injury concern for the Indian team. Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav aren’t part of the series and adding insult to injury, Navdeep Saini became the latest victim.

Rohit Sharma gets his first chance to bowl

Saini made his debut in the Sydney Test after Yadav was ruled out of the last two Tests. On the first day’s play of the Brisbane Teat, Saini developed a strain when he was into his eighth over. The speedster did some stretching after the physio treated him. In the end, he had to walk off the field, leaving India yet another fast bowler short in the ongoing four-match series.

It happened after Ajinkya Rahane dropped a rather straight-forward chance, giving Marnus Labuschagne a lifeline when the latter was batting on 37. Rohit then stepped in to complete the over. He bowled one wide outside the off-stump and Labuschagne slapped the ball through point for a single. Left-armer T Natarajan replaced Saini from the Vulture St End.

Here’s the video

After winning the toss and electing to bat, the Aussies didn’t make the greatest of starts. David Warner and Marcus Harris perished in the single-digit scores with the home team’s score at 17. But Steve Smith and Labuschagne’s partnership of 70 runs got them back into the track.

Washington Sundar, in the end, broke the stand, getting rid of Smith, who was batting on 36 with five fours. In the meantime, Labuschagne made India play after the dropped chance, scoring his fifty off 145 balls. At the time of writing the report, Matthew Wade and Marnus were in the middle.