 "IND vs AUS 4th Test: Rohit reveals why Tanush picked ahead of Kuldeep-Axar")
Ahead of the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Team India skipper Rohit Sharma confirmed Tanush Kotian as replacement for R Ashwin, who announced his retirement after the Brisbane Test on December 18.
While talking to media persons ahead of IND vs AUS 4th Test, Rohit explained the team's decision to include Kotian and why other options like Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, who were part of India Tests vs New Zealand, weren't called up for the last 2 Tests. Rohit Sharma explains Tanush's inclusion ahead of IND vs AUS 4th Test
"Tanush was here a month back and Kuldeep doesn't have a visa at the moment and we needed somebody to get here as quickly as possible. Jokes apart, we have seen Tanush play well in the past 2 years in domestic cricket and he has played here which is why we decided to go with him." Rohit said. Check latest news on India vs Australia Test series here
"Kuldeep is not 100 per cent fit as he has had a hernia surgery recently. Other options like Axar Patel also weren't available as he had a baby and won't be travelling for now. So, Tanish was the best option for us." he added. Tanush's Mumbai performance earning him a call-up
Tanush Kotian, a 26-year-old cricketer from Mumbai, has been a standout performer in domestic cricket. He has taken 101 wickets in 33 first-class matches, with an impressive average of 25.70. As a batter, Kotian has scored 1,525 runs in 47 innings at an average of 41.21, including two centuries and 13 fifties.
| Tanush Kotian Bowling stats | |||||||||||||
| Format | Matches | Inns | Balls | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Ave | Econ | SR | 4w | 5w | 10w |
| FC | 33 | 59 | 4694 | 2596 | 101 | 5/58 | 9/122 | 25.7 | 3.31 | 46.4 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| List A | 21 | 21 | 1137 | 910 | 22 | 4/31 | 4/31 | 41.36 | 4.8 | 51.6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T20s | 33 | 31 | 620 | 661 | 33 | 4/16 | 4/16 | 20.03 | 6.39 | 18.7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Kotian's exceptional performances during the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy season were instrumental in Mumbai’s title victory. He scored 502 runs at an average of 41.83 and claimed 29 wickets at an outstanding average of 16.96, earning him the Player of the Tournament accolade. Remarkably, he was the only player to achieve the rare feat of both 500 runs and 25 wickets in a season. Team India have to figure out the conditions today itself with tomorrow being an off day for even the ground staff at the MCG due to Christmas. They will be testing out the surface today and will be raring to go on 26th in order to take the lead in the important Test series.