Mumbai: India's captain Rohit Sharma during the first day of the third Test cricket match between India and New Zealand, at Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Team India skipper Rohit Sharma on Sunday hinted at missing opening Test against Australia due to personal reasons.
"Not sure whether I will be going, fingers crossed," he said.
"We will focus on (upcoming) Australia series, and not look too far ahead." he added.
Rohit described the unprecedented 0-3 whitewash to New Zealand at home as "a very low point of my career" and took full responsibility for the debacle in the Test series.
India faced a humiliating 0-3 defeat at home for the first time ever after suffering a 25-run defeat in the third Test against New Zealand here.
Set a target of 147, India were all out for 121. The hosts also suffered embarrassing defeats in the first two Tests of the series.
"Something like this will be a very low point of my career and I take full responsibility for it," Rohit said at the post-match press conference.
He added that losing a Test series like this at home is not "easily digestible".
"Yes absolutely (bitter pill to swallow). Losing a series, a Test match, is never easy... something that is not easily digestible. We didn't play our best cricket. New Zealand played better throughout the series. There were a lot of mistakes we did," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
In case Rohit misses the Test, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah will lead the side in the series opener while Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover.
With India's 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy has assumed more significance with both sides vying to reach the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) once again.