Rohit Sharma set to miss Perth Test against Australia, will be available from...

India captain Rohit Sharma is set to miss the opening Test of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Perth. The hopes of seeing Rohit lead India in the series opener against Australia rose considerably after the Indian captain and his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, welcomed their second child, a baby boy, on Friday, but it evaporated quickly by Saturday evening as the 37-year-old decided to skip the Perth Test and spend some time with his family. Rohit is expected to reach Australian shores in time for the second Test in Adelaide, which will be a day-night contest. India's Rohit Sharma in action REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/File Photo(REUTERS)

“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 privy to the developments, confirmed to Hindustan Times.

Now that Rohit is confirmed to be missing the opening Test, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will step up to lead Team India in Perth.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma did not travel to Perth alongside the Indian contingent and he stayed back in Mumbai for the birth of his second child.

Recently, the Indian captain was also seen using the Reliance Corporate Park (RCP) and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) facilities for training purposes.

Earlier, after the series loss against New Zealand, Rohit had himself accepted that he does not know whether he will be available for the first Test against Australia or not.

"Right now, I am not too sure whether I'll be going, but let's see. Fingers crossed," Rohit had said, while speaking to the reporters during the post-match press conference.

Who will open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal?

Now that Rohit Sharma is confirmed to be missing the opening Test, the question remains: Who will open alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal? Will it be KL Rahul or Abhimanyu Easwaran?

Recently, KL Rahul suffered a blow to his hand during the opening day of the ongoing match simulation against India A at the WACA, Perth. However, the injury is not serious, and Rahul is expected to be fit in time for November 22.

India have also been dealt another major blow as right-handed batter Shubman Gill suffered a fracture on his left thumb. The incident happened when the 25-year-old was fielding and he is now all but confirmed to not start in the playing XI for the Perth Test.

Talking about the series between India and Australia, the two teams will fight for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy across five venues -- Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

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