Australian batter Travis Head has supported India’s captain Rohit Sharma for skipping the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 due to family reasons. Head believes Rohit made right decision by staying with his family during this significant moment.
India will play without their skipper Rohit in the first Test of the five-match series against Australia. The series opener is scheduled for November 22 at the WACA Stadium in Perth. Rohit will miss the first Test to be with his wife and their newborn child, who arrived on November 15.
Reports earlier suggested that the baby’s arrival might clash with the Test, but since the child was born a week earlier, there were rumors that Rohit could join the team for the first game. However it was later confirmed that Rohit informed the BCCI he would skip the first Test and join the team ahead of the second game in Adelaide.
Some have criticized Rohit’s decision arguing that after India’s poor performance against New Zealand, the captain should be in Australia to lead the team in this crucial series.
Travis Head defended Rohit’s decision, saying he would have done the same. Speaking to the media, Head said:
“Hundred percent I support Rohit’s decision. I would have done the same in the same situation. We sacrifice a lot as cricketers. We live privileged lives, but we miss important milestones. You don’t get that time back. Hopefully he returns at some stage in this series.”
With Rohit unavailable Jasprit Bumrah will captain India in the first Test. This is a significant opportunity for Bumrah to showcase his leadership and spearhead the team in a critical match.
India needs to perform well in this series to secure a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final. They must win four out of five games and manage at least one draw to keep their qualification hopes alive. Losing even a single game could severely impact their chances.
