Clearing the Air: Former IND Star Urges Rohit Sharma to Make it to Perth for First Test Against AUS

Aakash Chopra has urged Rohit Sharma to make sure he catches the flight to Australia in time for the first test match in Perth. Despite missing the team's initial departure due to the birth of his second child, Chopra believes that the Indian skipper still has a chance to lead his team in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy opener. With the recent news of Rohit being blessed with a baby boy on Friday, his availability for the Perth Test remains uncertain, but Chopra is hopeful that he can join the team in time for the crucial match.

The former cricketer-turned-commentator congratulated Rohit and his wife Ritika and said it would be a thumbs up from him if the Indian skipper took a flight to Perth in time.

"Rohit and Ritika are blessed with a baby boy. Congratulations to Rohit and Ritika. Since the baby is born and there is a week's gap in between, the Test match will start on the 22nd, there is a strong possibility Rohit Sharma might be seen playing in the first Test match, and I will say thumbs up," Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

The Indian cricket team is in a tricky position after arriving in Australia as star batters Shubman Gill and KL Rahul sustained injuries in the match simulation with the India A team. Shubman is highly likely to miss the Perth Test after fracturing his thumb, while Rahul returned to nets on Sunday but there is still uncertainty over his availability.

Chopra also suggested that the recent injury crisis has made things worse for the visitors and if Rohit joins the team in the last-minute it will resolve a major worry for them.

"KL Rahul also got injured. Prasidh Krishna's ball hit him on his elbow and he didn't take part in that session again. Shubman Gill has also now gotten injured. He was doing catch practice and got hurt on his finger and they are saying that it is apparently fractured," Chopra noted.

"If he has a fractured finger, it takes at least two weeks, and at times it takes three as well. If it takes three weeks, there will be a doubt about the second Test match as well. It means he is also out of the first Test match. In such a scenario, if Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul aren't there, why are we playing at all? (Mohammed) Shami is also not there. This is not right," he added.

The former cricketer further pointed out Rohit missing a major chunk of Test matches after he started opening in red-ball cricket and it's time for him to improve that number.

"So Rohit Sharma, firstly congratulations on the new addition to your family. We are very happy for it. Now please go and play in Perth. Another thing is that since he has started opening in overseas Test matches, he has missed 12 and played only 10, and we need to put that record straight, that he should have played more and missed less. This is what we want," he said.