Whether India have their first-choice opener Rohit Sharma available for the last two Tests of the Australian tour depends largely on the fitness test the player will have to undergo at the NCA in Bangalore on Friday (December 11). 

Rohit, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury since coming back to India post the IPL 2020 in UAE, will have to clear the test in order to have the chance to board the earliest possible flight to Australia.  

Read Also: Sachin Tendulkar says “Rohit Sharma should be in Australia if deemed fit"

Then, since the 33-year-old hadn't directly shifted one bubble to the other with his Indian teammates, he'll have to undergo a strict 14-day quarantine upon reaching Australia as part of COVID-19 regulations. 

Not being allowed to train while in isolation, Rohit will have to spend extra days getting ready for the rigours of Test match cricket again via net sessions. 

The touring Indians will have gotten done with their pre-series warm-up fixtures as well as the first two Tests by the time Rohit is available. 

But passing Friday's fitness drills could allow him to be picked for the penultimate Test in Sydney, starting January 7, and then the last one in Brisbane. 

Rohit's presence could prove crucial for an Indian team set to miss their best batsman and skipper, Virat Kohli, for the last three games of the tour. Kohli will return home on paternity leave after the Adelaide D/N pink-ball affair. 

Rohit had hurt his hamstring playing for Mumbai Indians (MI) in October and was controversially left out of the selected Australia-bound Indian touring party. He did return to lead MI to their fifth IPL title but wasn't reinstated in the Indian squad and has been at the NCA since, being looked after by the physios and the coaches. 

(Inputs from TOI)