Indian pacer Ishant Sharma ruled out of Test series against Australia

Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of his side's upcoming four-match Test series against Australia, beginning December 17 at the Adelaide Oval.

In an official statement, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said that though the 32-year-old has recovered fully from a side strain which he suffered during the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL), he is set to miss the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Ishant has recovered completely from his side strain injury sustained during IPL 2020 in the U.A.E. While he’s building up his workload in order to achieve Test match fitness, Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," the BCCI said.

Earlier, Delhi Capitals' Ishant was forced to miss the recently-concluded IPL 2020 after picking up a left rib cage injury while bowling at a team training session on October 7, 2020 in Dubai.He got to play just one match for Delhi Capitals against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Abu Dhabi. 

Meanwhile, the BCCI also stated that opener Rohit Sharma headed back to India following the IPL in order to attend his ailing father. After ensuring that his father was fine, the Indian opening batsman travelled to the  National Cricket Academy where he is undergoing rehabilitation.

"He is presently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA. Rohit Sharma’s next assessment will be conducted on December 11th following which the BCCI will have clarity on his participation in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.Rohit Sharma had to come back to Mumbai after the IPL to attend his ailing father. His father is now recuperating well and that has allowed him to travel to the NCA and start his rehabilitation," the country's cricket governing body said.

Earlier, there were reports that both Rohit and Ishant were ruled out of the opening two Tests against Australia as they needed more time to get back into their best possible shape.

Meanwhile, the board also confirmed that T Natarajan has been added to the Indian ODI squad as a back-up for Navdeep Saini, who has complained of back spasm.

"The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added T Natarajan to India’s squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia starting Friday.Navdeep Saini complained of back spasm and Natarajan has been added as a back-up," the statement said.

Besides three-match ODI series and four Tests, India and Australia are also scheduled to play three-match T20I series from December 4 to December 8.