India and Australia will face off in Melbourne on Boxing Day (December 26) in BGT 2024.
The ongoing BGT 2024 has reached its final two Tests as India and Australia will clash in the fourth Test in Melbourne on December 26, 2024, as the series stands 1-1.
Ahead of the Test, India captain Rohit Sharma rejected fears about a knee injury sustained during practice on Tuesday, claiming it was fine but leaving his batting position uncertain.
Rohit missed the first Test Down Under to be with his family during the birth of his second child. He was anticipated to retake the opener's slot, but KL Rahul's outstanding 77 in India's win against Perth forced a batting order reshuffle, with the skipper dropping to No.6.
The shift, however, has not been successful for Rohit, who has managed 10, 3, and 6 runs in the last three innings. Rahul, on the other hand, has capitalized on the opportunity by scoring a brilliant 84 in the first innings at Brisbane in the third Test.
"Let's not worry about who bats where—something that we need to figure out and not something I would be discussing here. We will do what is best for the team," Rohit said in the press conference.
Rohit also backed Virat Kohli, who has struggled to improve since scoring a century in the Perth Test and figuring out how to iron out his flaws.
On Kohli's form, and his supposed shortcoming outside off-stump, Rohit said, the stalwart will find a way out of the slump.
"Kohli's off stump... you only say modern-day great. Modern-day greats figure out their own path," said the skipper.
Young Yashasvi Jaiswal has failed to fire following his match-winning 161 in the first Test but Rohit said he will be encouraged to play his natural free-flowing game.
"You don't want to tamper Jaiswal's mindset. He understands his batting more than any of us. You encourage him to play freely,” Rohit stated.
During the same interaction, Rohit Sharma also talked about keeper-batter Rishabh Pant’s form, adding that he knows what is expected of him and that he has been working hard in the nets. Pant has managed just 96 runs in the ongoing Test series.
"There is no pressure. He has played just three Tests here. He has scored runs in India. He has been in good form. If two or three Tests go up and down, too much of judgment is not right. He knows what he has to do,” Rohit Sharma said.
Rohit Sharma also stated that all young guns like Pant, Gill, and Jaiswal know what is expected of them and how to give their best.
"See, as I told you, all these youngsters - Rishabh, Gill, Jaiswal, all these youngsters are in the same boat. We don’t want to complicate what they are doing. They know what they are expected to do. Our job here is to keep talking to them about small, small things like match awareness. I don’t think we need to tell them more and complicate stuff.
Rishabh Pant knows what he has to do. He himself has a lot of expectations from him. He is working hard. I hope he clicks in the last two matches," Rohit added.
Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, defended the young players, stating that the team management has been careful not to put too much pressure on Pant, Gill, and Jaiswal and to let them play freely for the rest of the series.
"Look, Jaiswal, he is coming here for the first time. He has already shown what he is capable of. when you have a guy like that on your team, you don't want to tamper too much with his mindset. Let him be as free as possible. We try not to overburden him with too many thoughts regarding his batting. He understands his batting more than any one of us. That's how he has played his cricket, scored all of his runs. We want to ensure he goes out there and plays his game freely. He has got the ability to play all sorts of games -- whether it's the holding game or dominating the game. It's just about trying to figure out certain areas of his game. I am sure he is doing that along with the other guys. Guys who have played here before share their knowledge," Rohit said.
"You don't want to be telling him too many things about his batting. if he gets going, he can be very, very dangerous," he said.
"Talking about Gill, he is quality. It's just about backing that quality and making sure we give clear messaging to him. Like Jaiswal, we don't want to complicate too many things with him. He understands his batting really well. He knows how to score big runs.
"It's just about making sure that when you get 30s, 40s, you have to convert that into big runs. Getting in is the toughest part here, so when you get in, you have to try and score big runs," he added.
India and Australia will face off in Melbourne on Boxing Day (December 26) and Sydney (January 3) in the final Test.
(PTI inputs)