Rohit Sharma appointed India vice-captain for last two Tests against Australia

After levelling the series with a stunning win in Melbourne, team India has been boosted with Rohit Sharma’s return for the last two Tests of the four-match series against Australia. He completed his 14-day mandatory quarantine in Sydney and joined the team earlier this week in Melbourne. Rohit was injured during the IPL and missed the ODI and T20I leg of the tour along with the first two Tests.

But he has now regained full fitness and will be desperate to don the India whites again after a long gap. Meanwhile, the 2021 year has turned lucky for Rohit Sharma on the first day itself as the selectors have named him the vice-captain of the team in Tests. Ajinkya Rahane is currently leading the side in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit will be his deputy for the last two Test matches down under.

The BCCI confirmed the news in its latest press release which also makes it certain that Rohit Sharma has passed the fitness test and is set to play the third Test in Sydney starting from January 7.

Rohit Sharma’s Test career

As far as Rohit Sharma’s Test career is concerned, he has featured in 32 matches for India scoring 2141 runs at an impeccable average of 46.54. He has smashed six centuries including a double hundred along with 10 fifties to his name. Though he has been a prolific limited-overs batsman and a deputy to Virat Kohli in ODIs and T20Is, Rohit’s place was never certain in Tests until he started opening the innings during the 2019-20 home season.

He stunned South Africa during the three-match Test series scoring truckloads of runs while opening the innings for the first time in the longest format of the game. But an injury during the New Zealand T20Is ruled him out of the subsequent ODIs and Tests. The injury he sustained during the IPL and quarantine norms kept him out of the first two Tests against Australia then.

Now that he has returned to action and as a vice-captain of the team, Rohit Sharma will be looking to bat well and lead from the front to help India win the series for the second consecutive time down under.