The fan found an unusual way to get an autograph from Indian captain Rohit Sharma during a practice session in Melbourne.
Team India is gearing up for a strong comeback as it faces Australia in the fourth Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Melbourne. With the highly anticipated Boxing Day Test set to begin, the Indian players have been putting in the hard work at the nets. However, on Tuesday, an unusual incident unfolded that caught the attention of captain Rohit Sharma.
India’s captain Rohit Sharma during a practice session(AFP)
A female fan came up with a bizarre method to seek an autograph from Rohit. Using a rope, she tied a bat and lowered it down to where the players were practicing. In a video shared by journalist Vimal Kumar, the fan can be seen hanging the bat by the rope, hoping for a signature from her idol.
While she was initially waiting for Virat Kohli to appear, she did not get the opportunity to meet him. However, she did manage to get autographs from both Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma, who later signed the bat.
Indian fans have been flocking to the practice sessions in large numbers, eager to catch a glimpse of their cricketing heroes in action. While the players have been practicing hard, their interactions with fans have become a point of concern after certain incidents.
Following the second Test in Adelaide, the Indian team opted for closed-door net sessions to prevent any disruptions, though fans are still allowed to watch from a distance.
Series level at 1-1
The five-Test series between India and Australia is currently level with two matches remaining – in Melbourne and Sydney. While India did make a strong start to the series in Perth last month, defeating the Aussies by a mammoth 295 runs, Australia made a strong comeback in the pink-ball Test, sweeping the visitors by 10 wickets.
Incessant rains in Brisbane meant the third match ended in a draw at the Gabba. India, however, will be wary of their batting concerns with both, Rohit and Kohli – two of their batting stalwarts – struggling to find form. While Kohli did make a century in Perth, he failed to breach the fifty-run mark in any other innings throughout the series.
Rohit, meanwhile, was dismissed in single figures across both innings in Adelaide and scored only 13 in his only batting appearance at the Gabba.
