MUMBAI: Reeling after a 28-run defeat to England in Hyderabad, India, already missing Virat Kohli, suffered a big blow when Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were ruled out of the second Test, starting in Vizag on Feb 2. Rahul’s injury means the consistent Sarfaraz Khan’s long wait for a maiden Test call-up is finally over. The Mumbai batter will be Rahul’s replacement in Vizag.
Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury when he was run out while going for a quick single on Sunday. “Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury during play on Day 4 of the first Test while Rahul complained of right quadriceps pain. The medical team is monitoring the progress of the duo,” the BCCI said.
The same quadriceps injury on Rahul’s right thigh saw him sit out of the game for four months, during which he underwent surgery in Germany. “Rahul could perhaps return later in this series, but Jadeja’s injury could be more serious. Let’s see what the NCA’s medical team tells us,” a source in the BCCI told TOI.
Apart from Sarfaraz, the selectors, looking to boost the spin department in Jadeja’s absence, added left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar, another consistent performer for India ‘A’ and in domestic cricket for Uttar Pradesh, and off-spinning allrounder Washington Sundar to the squad for the second Test.
Sarfaraz will now be competing with Rajat Patidar for a place in India’s middle-order, while ‘chinaman’ bowler Kuldeep Yadav is likely to get the nod ahead of Sundar. Last week, after he was ignored in favour of Patidar when the Indian team was named for the first two Tests, Sarfaraz smashed 161 (160 balls) against England Lions (the ‘A’ side) in the third unofficial ‘Test’.
No clarity on Kohli yet
Meanwhile, TOI has learnt that there’s no clarity on whether Virat Kohli, who had made himself unavailable for the first two Tests due to personal reasons, will be back for the remainder of the series. “We haven’t heard anything from him on his return as yet,” said a BCCI official.
Coupled with Kohli’s absence, the injuries to Jadeja and Rahul have left India—under the pump after suffering just their fourth Test defeat at home since 2013—in a deep hole.
MP off-spinner Jain replaces Washington in India ‘A’ squad
With Sundar being drafted into India’s Test side, Madhya Pradesh’s off-spinner Saransh Jain has been named as his replacement in the India ‘A’ squad for the third and final multi-day game against the England Lions starting on Thursday in Ahmedabad.
