India vs Australia: BCCI gives update on Rohit, Ishant after Virat Kohli's fiery press conference

Virat Kohli slammed the management of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over Rohit Sharma's injury saga, saying "confusion and lack of clarity" that has led to the team playing a "waiting game" on the Mumbai batsman's availability for the Test series in Australia.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference on the eve of the first One-Day International (ODI) between India and Australia on Thursday, Kohli outrightly said that the duo of Rohit and Ishant Sharma should have travelled with the team directly to Australia after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in the UAE and continued their rehabilitation with the team, like Wriddhiman Saha.

"Before the selection meeting in Dubai, we got a mail stating that he is unavailable and that he has picked up an injury during the IPL. It said that the pros and cons of the injury were explained to him and he understood and he was unavailable," Kohli said.

"After that, he played in the IPL and we all thought he would be on that flight to Australia and we had no information on why he is not travelling with us. There has been no information, there has been a lack of clarity. We have been playing the waiting game," Kohli said in a virtual press conference ahead of the first game of the three-ODI series in Sydney.

Comparing Rohit's scenario to Saha's, Kohli added," Saha had an injury during IPL and has been doing his rehab with the team. We are aware of his progress and he is on the right path to make sure he is fit and available in time to play the Test series; the same would have been the case with Rohit and Ishant. It would have given them a chance to get themselves fit and be available before the start of the Test series."

Soon after Kohli's press conference, the Indian cricket board sent out an official release with an update on Rohit and Ishant's current situation.

Ishant was ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar series. "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, Mr. Ishant Sharma has been ruled out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," read BCCI's statement that came soon after Kohli's press conference.

In the same release, the BCCI revealed that Rohit, who is nursing a hamstring injury, returned to Mumbai from the UAE to attend his ailing father. "He is presently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA. Mr. 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. Mr. Rohit Sharma had to come back to Mumbai after the IPL to attend to his ailing father. His father is now recuperating well and that has allowed him to travel to the NCA and start his rehabilitation," BCCI's statement read further.

Meanwhile, the BCCI also announced that the All-India Senior Selection Committee has added T Natarajan to India's squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia as a back-up for Navdeep Saini, who has complained of a back spasm.

The first ODI between India and Australia is currently underway at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). After opting to bat, Australia have reached 37 for no loss in 7 overs.