Reports | Ishant expected to start bowling from November 18; Rohit to undergo rehabilitation at NCA

Ishant Sharma, who was part of the Delhi Capitals squad, was injured and later ruled out of the tournament with an abdominal muscle tear. Ever since then, the right-arm pacer is recovering for the four-match Test series against Australia later this year. Last year, just before the New Zealand series, the Delhi pacer was racing against time in order to be declared fully-fit.

This year too, the pacer who suffered the injury during the IPL, as per ESPNCricinfo’s reports, will be fit to bowl starting from November 18. Alongside that, Ishant also has to prove his match-fitness before he is cleared to fly to Australia. As for Wriddhiman Saha, on the other hand, the wicketkeeper is expected to take the flight to Down Under normally alongside the rest of the team, with the Bengal keeper part of the squad for the four-match Test series.

Following the fifth IPL win, reports indicated that Rohit Sharma would not travel with the rest of the Indian team to Australia, with the right-hander still recovering to full fitness after he sustained an injury earlier in the IPL season. Instead, the opener would now travel to National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where he will have to pass a fitness test before boarding the flight to Australia for the four-match Test series.

With Virat Kohli likely to miss the remainder of the Test series, as he will be on paternity leave after the first Test and is not likely to return back to Australia for the remainder of the Test series, it puts Rohit in pole position to occupy the middle-order spot in familiar conditions.