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'If I was in his position, he should be playing the Perth Test. It is on 22nd, which is still almost a week away.'
Former skipper Sourav Ganguly has urged captain Rohit Sharma to travel to Australia 'very soon' to join the Indian team ahead of the series opener, starting in Perth, on Friday.
"I hope Rohit Sharma goes very soon. As a team, they need him," Ganguly told Revsportz.
Rohit and his wife Ritika Sajdeh welcomed their second child, a baby boy on Friday, November 15. The India captain had taken a paternity break to be with his family, missing crucial training sessions in Australia ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Despite being away from the team, Rohit has been diligently preparing for the series with nets in Mumbai. It is not clear as to whether he will reach Australia in time to join the Indian team ahead of the first Test in Perth.
"He has had a baby boy a couple of days ago. So, I am sure he can leave as early as possible and today is 16th. If I was in his position, he should be playing the Perth Test. It is on 22nd, which is still almost a week away. Because it is a big series and may be he will not go to Australia after this. He is a fantastic captain and the team needs his leadership to start with," added Ganguly.
However according to reports, Rohit is unlikely to play in the Perth Test.
"Rohit won't be travelling to Australia for the first Test. He should reach Australia soon and then have enough time to prepare to be ready for the second Test in Adelaide," a source told Hindustan Times.
In Rohit's absence, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the Indian team in the first Test in Perth.