Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second IND vs ENG Test in Visakhapatnam due to injuries.
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On January 29, the BCCI released a statement that mentioned that Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul will not be available for selection in the second Test of the five-match series which starts on February 2 in Vizag.
“Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury during play on Day 4 of the first Test in Hyderabad while Rahul complained of a right quadriceps pain,” the BCCI release said.
Three replacements have been named. Sarfaraz Khan has earned a much-deserved maiden India call-up to cover for Rahul. Left-arm spinner Sourabh Kumar and all-rounder Washington Sundar have also been added to the squad for the second Test.
Ravindra Jadeja – Ruled out ❌
KL Rahul – Ruled out ❌Two major blows for India before the second Test against England.#RavindraJadeja #KLRahul #India #Cricket #Tests #INDvsENG pic.twitter.com/JROg47Ulds
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia) January 29, 2024
Having lost the first Test of the series in Hyderabad, the absence of Jadeja and Rahul, two senior members of the team, for the Vizag Test will add more pressure on the home side.
Virat Kohli, who took a leave from the first two Tests for personal reasons, won’t be available as well, leading to a highly inexperienced middle order.
Rahul and Jadeja had both made 80-plus scores in the first innings in Hyderabad. Jadeja also took five wickets across the two innings.
Among the replacements named, Sourabh Kumar has been performing well in domestic cricket for years now and has been around the India A setup for a while as well. Both him and Sarfaraz, who recently scored a hundred against England Lions in a four-day game, are yet to make their international debuts.
Washington Sundar, on the other hand, has played four Tests, the last of which came against England when they toured India in 2021.
India squad for 2nd Test vs England
Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.
