Rohit Sharma has arrived in Australia for the Test series after clearing a late fitness test. The ‘Hitman’ is, however, not part of the India Test squad for the opening two Test matches and will only be available from the third Test. Rohit will first have to remain in quarantine for 14 days and also undertake COVID-19 tests before he can join the rest of the Indian team. The India vs Australia Test series will begin with the first Test in Adelaide from December 17 (Thursday). Rohit though will only be able to play the third and fourth Test matches due to his late arrival in Australia and also the COVID-19 measures in the country. Rohit Sharma Says ‘More to Come’ as Indian Cricket Team Opener’s Third ODI Double Century Completes Three Years (View Tweet).

The 33-year-old shared a picture of himself while travelling to Australia in his Instagram story. In the pic, Rohit can be seen showing the thumbs-up sign and he clicks a selfie. He left for Australia in the early hours of Tuesday. “Rohit left in the early hours today and is headed to Australia via Dubai,” ANI quoted a source as saying. He reached Australia in time to be available for selection for the third and fourth Tests. Take a look at the picture Rohit shared on his Instagram story. Moods! Here's What Rohit Sharma is Upto as he Prepares for Test Series Against Australia (See Pics).

Rohit Sharma (Photo Credits: Instagram/@rohitsharma45)

For now, the India opening batsman will quarantine, acclimatise to the conditions in Australia and also work on his fitness having just recovered from a hamstring injury. The third Test match begins on January 7 at Sydney and if things go as planned Rohit could be selected to open alongside Mayank Agarwal in that match.

His participation in the tour was initially doubtful after Rohit injured his hamstring during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in UAE. He was also not picked in any of the squads selected for the tour. But Rohit was a late addition to the Test squad with the selection committee notifying he will only be available for the final two Tests of the tour.

It was initially thought Rohit would travel to Australia with the rest of the India squad after being named in the Test squad. But to everyone’s surprise, Rohit was not with the team in Australia. BCCI later confirmed in a statement that the Mumbai Indians captain had gone home to meet his ailing father post the IPL. Rohit returned to the NCA in Bengaluru a week later and worked on his recovery before being passed ‘clinically fit’ to face Australia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 16, 2020 09:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).