Australian batter Travis Head has shown his support for India captain Rohit Sharma, who decided to skip the first Test of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Rohit made the decision to stay back in India to be with his wife, Ritika Sajdeh, and their newborn son, who was born on November 15.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the first Test at Perth’s Optus Stadium, Head praised Sharma's choice, stating that he would have made the same decision if he were in Rohit’s shoes. “Hundred per cent, I support Rohit’s decision. I would have done the same in the same situation,” Head said (quoted by Revsportz).

“As cricketers, we sacrifice a lot of things. We do live a privileged life, but we also miss important milestones. You don’t get that time back. Hopefully, Rohit returns at some stage in this series,” he added

Despite Sharma's absence, Head remains wary of the Indian team’s strength. Reflecting on India's 2020-21 tour of Australia, when Virat Kohli returned home for the birth of his child, Head acknowledged India's capability to perform under pressure.

“If you go on history, you wouldn't rule out any Indian team,” Head commented. “The last couple of series we've played against them, they've had injuries, people questioned them, but they rolled out some pretty good performances. Whoever they play, it’s going to be a strong team.”

Head also praised Virat Kohli, who has faced challenges in Test cricket recently but has an excellent record in Australia. "Virat’s pretty big. Everyone talks about him wherever he goes. There won’t be a series where you wouldn’t talk about Kohli,” Head remarked.

Acknowledging Kohli's potential to shine in the upcoming series, Head added, "Virat's going to have his moments in this series, hopefully not too many of them. He’s a world-class player, and over five Tests, he’s going to perform at some stage.".