India National Cricket Team vs Australia National Cricket Team Match: Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma turned Shivaji Park into a sea of fans on Friday as he trained ahead of the upcoming ODI series against Australia. Hundreds of supporters gathered to see the 'Hitman' back in action on his home ground. The atmosphere was lively, with chants of 'Rohit! Rohit!' echoing as the veteran batter stepped into the nets.Rohit looked calm and focused during the session. He worked on his footwork, timing, and shot selection. Every boundary he hit drew loud cheers from the stands. Many young cricketers from nearby academies watched in admiration. Even with a heavy crowd, Rohit remained humble. He smiled and waved to the fans in between drills. Videos of his practice have gone viral on social media.
The former Indian captain also batted against spinners, practising sweeps and slog sweeps. He looked lean and fit after reportedly shedding more than 10 kilograms in recent months. Rohit has been training in Mumbai with Abhishek Nayar to prepare for the tour.
This will be Rohit’s first international series since leading India to the ICC Champions Trophy title earlier this year. He is set to join the Indian team camp in Delhi next week before flying to Australia.
Rohit’s record against Australia remains impressive, with several memorable innings across formats. His experience and leadership will be key as India look to start their tour on a strong note. Fans now wait eagerly to see him in full flow once again when the series begins. The series will also see the return of Virat Kohli in the Indian side
The tour will include a three-match One-Day International series and a five-match T20I series. Shubman Gill will lead India in the ODIs, replacing Rohit Sharma as captain. Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who retired from Test cricket earlier this year, are included in the squad.
Injured Rishabh Pant will miss the series. Dhruv Jurel received his first ODI call-up and will act as backup wicketkeeper to KL Rahul. All-rounder Hardik Pandya and pacer Jasprit Bumrah have been rested. Mohammed Siraj returns after being dropped for the ICC Champions Trophy. He will lead the pace attack along with Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.
Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy were selected as all-round options. Veteran Ravindra Jadeja was not picked. Kuldeep Yadav is the only specialist spinner. Varun Chakaravarthy missed out due to seam-friendly conditions in Australia.
The ODI series will begin in Perth on October 19, with the second match in Adelaide on October 23 and the final match in Sydney on October 25.
India ODI Squad for AustraliaShubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, Yashasvi Jaiswal