The third Test between India and England starts in Rajkot on February 15. Here are the latest availability updates from the Indian team.
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India have been severely handicapped in terms of personnel in the ongoing five-Test series against England. Several first-choice players missed the first two Tests due to various reasons. With the series level 1-1 and the third Test ten days away, India would be hoping to get as many of them back if not all.
Virat Kohli
The former India captain had asked for a leave a few days ahead of the first Test in Hyderabad citing personal reasons. In a surprisingly elaborate statement, BCCI asked people to respect his privacy and not to speculate the nature of the personal reasons and named Rajat Patidar as his replacement for the first two Tests. Patidar also got a maiden Test cap in the second game, at Visakhapatnam.
Neither Kohli nor the BCCI has provided an update since then, but AB de Villiers, a close friend of Kohli, revealed in a video on his YouTube channel that Kohli and his wife are expecting their second child, which might be the reason why he took a leave.
🚨Just In: Virat Kohli opts out of the initial two Tests against England, citing personal reasons. 🚨#ViratKohli #India #INDvsENG #Tests #Cricket pic.twitter.com/SApbkgT51p
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) January 22, 2024
Asked about Kohli’s availability after the Vizag Test, India coach Rahul Dravid did not provide a concrete answer: “I think it’s best to ask the selectors. I am sure they are the best people to answer ahead of the team selection for the next three Tests. We will get to that. I am sure there will be selection over the next few days. We will connect with him and find out,” he said.
Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah has taken 15 wickets from two Tests in the series, more than any other bowler. At times, he has been borderline unplayable with his bag of tricks, breaking games open for India in crucial moments. However, reports suggest that India might consider resting him ahead of the third Test in Rajkot to manage his workload and ensure that he is at his best for the latter half of the series.
Mohammed Siraj was rested for the second Test in Vizag for workload management reasons as well with Mukesh Kumar replacing him in the XI.
KL Rahul
Rahul scored a crucial 86 in the first Test in Hyderabad before being sidelined for the second due to pain in his right quadriceps. Not much is known about the severity of his injury, but reports suggest that among all the first-choice players who are injured, Rahul has the best chance to be fit and available for the third Test in Rajkot.
Rahul’s injury ahead of the second Test led to a maiden call-up for Sarfaraz Khan to the Test side. He didn’t feature in the XI, but was present on the field as a substitute for major portions of the Vizag Test.
Ravindra Jadeja
Jadeja injured his hamstring while running between the wickets during the second innings of he first Test in Hyderabad, ruling him out of the second. Washington Sundar and Sourabh Kumar, his replacements, did not get to play the second Test as Kuldeep Yadav replaced Jadeja in the XI.
Jadeja shifted to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) on January 30 for rehab. According to reports, he is all but set to miss at least the third Test, if not all three remaining games.
Shubman Gill
Gill sustained a finger injury while fielding during the second Test in Vizag. He batted with an injured finger and scored a hundred in the second innings, but was not able to take the field on the fourth day of the match.
He had been taken for scans after day three and while there were no reports of a fracture or something serious, he was asked not to field on the final day as a precautionary measure. He should, in all probability, be fit for the third Test.
Mohammed Shami
The star seamer who missed the South Africa tour due to an ankle injury he sustained during the 2023 World Cup, did not feature in the squad for the first two Tests of the England series as well. According to reports, his recovery is taking longer than expected and it’s unlikely that he will play any part in the remainder of the ongoing five-match Test series.
