Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the third ODI against Bangladesh after suffering a thumb injury during the second ODI of the three-match ODI series, which was played in Dhaka on Wednesday (December 7). Rohit was attempting to take a catch at the second slip, but he failed to complete it and in the process hurt his thumb. He didn’t field after getting injured on the fourth ball of the second over of the game and only came out to bat at the No. 9 position. He tried his level best to help India win the match by making an unbeaten 51 runs from 28 balls, but it all went in vain as India lost the game by five runs. The second straight defeat against Bangladesh handed Rohit his first bilateral ODI series defeat as Indian captain.
After the end of the second ODI, Indian head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that Rohit is out of the third ODI and will fly to Mumbai to consult with a specialist about his thumb injury. Rohit himself addressed the injury issue and said that he had some dislocations and some stitches. The extent of the injury is yet to be known completely, and while there are hopes that he will get fit in time for the two-match Test series, which will start on December 14, one can’t say anything with certainty.
If Rohit fails to arrive in time for the first Test of the series in Chattogram, India may turn to another opening combination. Despite the presence of Shubman Gill and KL Rahul in the squad, the BCCI may consider sending a specialist opening batter to Bangladesh for the Test series. India can’t afford any slips in the Test series if it wants to make it to the finals of the World Test Championship.
Here are three players who can join Team India as Rohit Sharma’s replacement as Indian opener:
Mayank Agarwal: Mayank has played in a total of 21 Tests for India to date, in which he has scored 1488 runs at an average of 41.33. He isn’t selected for the two Test matches but will be the leading contender to replace Rohit in case he is ruled out. The Karnataka batter has already played two Tests against Bangladesh in 2019 and has 257 runs to his name.
Abhimanyu Easwaran: Bengal batter and India A captain for the ongoing Bangladesh A tour Easwaran will also be in line to find a place on the Indian team. The 27-year-old right-handed opening batter is in stunning form in the ongoing A series and has scored back-to-back hundreds. In the first match, he made 141, and in the second one, which is currently underway at Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, he has made 144 not out at the end of the second day’s play.
Yashasvi Jaiswal: Though there are very slim chances of it, the possibility of a young Yashasvi Jaiswal getting a nod can’t be ruled out. The 20-year-old former U-19 batter is also in great form these days and has scored a lot of runs in first-class matches this season. He is also part of India’s A team in Bangladesh and scored 146 runs in the first A game against Bangladesh.
