The first batch of Indian players, including former captains Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, left New Delhi on Wednesday morning for Perth for the three-match ODI series against Australia, starting Sunday.
The two stalwarts were joined by Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, and pacers Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna, besides some members of the support staff. Head coach Gautam Gambhir and some other members of the coaching staff left in the evening.
The opener will be played in Perth followed by matches in Adelaide and Sydney. The five-match T20I series begins on October 29.
The ODI series has generated significant interest mainly due to Rohit and Kohli, both of whom are now retired from Tests and T20Is. There is already much speculation over their ODI future.
Australia captain Pat Cummins feels the ODI series is special as it might be the
“last chance” for fans Down Under to catch a glimpse of the two superstars.
“Virat and Rohit have been part of almost every Indian side for the last 15 years, so this might be the last chance for the Australian public to see them playing out here,” the 32-year-old Cummins, who has been sidelined due to a back injury, said on JioHotstar.
“They’ve obviously been champions of the game for India and are always very well supported. Whenever we play them, the crowd gets loud.”
The fast bowler said he was disappointed to miss the series. “It’s a shame to miss the white-ball series against India. I think the crowds are going to be huge. There’s already a lot of excitement built up here in Australia,” Cummins said.
“So, whenever you miss a game, it’s disappointing. But missing a big series like this is always a bit harder to take,” he added.
Cummins backed Australia under stand-in captain Mitchell Marsh.
“It’s three matches you want to win, but it’s also about giving exposure to the younger guys coming through, particularly those who weren’t part of the last World Cup.
“The goal is to try and play them, see what they can do, and make sure that once we get close to the World Cup, we know what our 15-man squad is going to be and that we’re well placed,” he said.
Coach Gambhir was non-committal about Rohit and Kohli’s future, especially
looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup.
“The 50-over World Cup is still two-and-a-half years away. It is very important to stay in the present. Obviously they are quality players. They are coming back. Their experience is going to be valuable in Australia,” Gambhir said after the Test series win against the West Indies on Tuesday.
“Hopefully those two guys can have a successful tour, and more importantly, as a team we can have a successful series.”