Rohit Sharma will look forward to score runs and field well in order to pass the fitness test in the warm-up limited-over game between India ‘A’ and Sri Lanka at the Brabourne Stadium on Thursday.
Almost two months ago he made a half-century in the first ODI against England at Cardiff that India won by 133 runs, but broke his right hand middle finger while fielding and was ruled unfit for the remainder of the ODI series and the one-off Twenty20 International.
After many days of rehabilitation to repair the damaged finger, the right-hander began hitting the ball 10 days ago.
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On Wednesday, he batted for nearly three-quarters of an hour and appeared set to return to competitive cricket.
The Mumbai middle-order batsman was picked in the BCCI President’s XI against the West Indies, but to his misfortune, Dwayne Bravo’s team left for home following a pay-related quarrel with the WICB and Rohit’s comeback plan had to be shelved.
The Sri Lankan seam attack will lack the Lasith Malinga sting, but Rohit — likely to open the innings — will face any pair from the likes of seamers Nuwan Kulasekara, Lahiru Gamage (uncapped), Thisara Perera and Dhammika Prasad. Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has been rested for the tour and the visitors will rely on an inexperienced spin department in Suraj Randiv (off-break), Seekkuge Prasanna (leg-break), Ashan Priyanjan (off-break) and Chaturanga de Silva (left-arm).
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It will be India ‘A’s third one-day match against a touring side (it played two matches against the West Indies at CCI and Wankhede in early October) and skipper Manoj Tiwary is quite delighted at getting so many opportunities.
The selectors are likely to pick the playing XI on Thursday. Left-arm unorthodox Kuldeep Yadav is almost certain to get a chance. Seamer Jaspreet Bumrah picked up a knee strain in the Duleep Trophy match and he has been advised to undergo an MRI test.
The teams (from):India ‘A’: Manoj Tiwary (capt.), Unmukt Chand, Manan Vohra, Karun Nair, Rohit Sharma, Kedar Jadhav, Sanju Samson, Parveez Rasool, Karn Sharma, Stuart Binny, Dhaval Kulkarni, Jaspreet Bumrah, Manish Pandey, Kuldeep Yadav.
Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (capt.), Chaturanga de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru Gamage, Mahela Jayawardene, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Seekkuge Prasanna, Upul Tharanga, Ashan Priyanjan, Kumar Sangakkara.