IND vs AUS: Steve Smith Believes India Have 'High Quality' Batsmen To Fill In For Virat, Rohit's Absence

Smith felt that the touring India squad for the ODI and T20I series against Australia had quality players in Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul who could negate the absence of the prolific opener Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.

Steve Smith (Image: AFP)

Former Australian captain Steve Smith believes that the Indian team boasts of many quality batsmen in their batting armoury who can step up and fill in the absence of their star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom will not be part of the full tour against Australia which gets underway with the 3-match ODI series on November 27. Australia's middle order batting mainstay Smith felt that the touring India squad for the ODI and T20I series against Australia had quality players in Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul who could negate the absence of their prolific opener Rohit Sharma at the top of the order. "Rohit is a tremendous white-ball player. He has proven that for a number of years now. Obviously, he leaves a bit of a hole but with this Indian team there are so many batters coming around that are high quality. You look at someone like Mayank Agarwal. In the IPL, he smashed runs. KL Rahul can bat at the top," Smith told Australian reporters on Tuesday. While Kohli will lead India in the entire white-ball leg of the tour, the prolific run scorer will head back to India after the Test series opener of the Border Gavaskar Test series at Adelaide to be with his wife Anushka who is in family way, expecting the birth of first child. Meanwhile, Rohit was expected to play for India in the 3rd and 4th Test after he was ruled out of the first two Tests and keeping in mind the 14-day mandatory quarantine rule in Australia. Smith Feels Kohli's Absence For Bulk Of Test Series Will Leave Major Hole In India's Middle Order For The Test Series Smith, who is considered to be one of the modern day greats with the willow in the purist form of the game along with Indian skipper Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson, said that Kohli's absence for the bulk of the Test series would leave a hole in India’s Test squad. However, there were many Indian batsmen who had the pedigree to prove their mettle and take up the challenge in Virat's absence. "There are a plenty of options for them. Look, you will leave a hole no doubt but quality players to back him up. The same is with Virat and the Test squad. There are a number of players there that can come in and do a good job. Virat is of high quality in all forms. He will certainly leave a hole but I still think they have quality batters waiting in the wings to come in and fill that void," Smith added.