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Sarfaraz Khan file photo
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced a slew of changes to the Indian team for the second Test against England after Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were ruled out due to injuries. The duo’s exclusion paved the way for the board to hand Sarfaraz Khan his first call-up to the Indian Test team, while Washington Sundar and Sourabh Kumar were also named in the list. Sarfaraz, who has been a consistent scorer in domestic cricket, has been waiting for this day, and when the BCCI called him up for the first time, social media welcomed the decision with both hands.
India and Mumbai batsman Suryakumar Yadav was one of the first cricketers to greet Sarfaraz at the call-up. But greetings also came from across the border, with Pakistan’s opening batsman Imam-ul-Haq also congratulating the Indian cricketer on his Test call-up.
“Congratulations brother, very happy for you,” Imam-ul-Haq wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
On the injury front, Jadeja suffered a hamstring problem while attempting a quick single on Sunday, while Rahul complained of pain in his right quadriceps.
The worrying thing is that Rahul also injured his right thigh while playing in the IPL in May last year and that required surgery, which kept him out of the game for four months. “Mr. Ravindra Jadeja and Mr. KL Rahul have been ruled out of the IDFC First Bank second Test against England in Vizag, starting February 2, 2024,” the BCCI said in a press release.
“The BCCI medical team is monitoring the development of the duo,” he added.
With Virat Kohli no longer available for the first two Tests due to personal reasons, injuries to Jadeja and Rahul have made matters worse for India, who are under pressure after losing only their fourth home Test since 2013.
Both Rahul and Jadeja had made significant contributions in the first Test before England staged a remarkable comeback to win the game by 28 runs and go 1-0 up in the five-match series. Jadeja took five wickets and made 87 in the first innings, while Rahul scored 86.
Jadeja’s all-round skills are invaluable to the team. Sundar, who has shown a lot of promise in his four-Test career, could replace Jadeja in the playing XI. Since he returned from injury in the Asia Cup in September, Rahul has shown stellar form in the ODI and Test format. Keeping wickets in the ODI World Cup and more recently in the Test series in South Africa has increased his workload. While Sarfaraz has a well-deserved call-up, the chances of Rajat Patidar, who was already part of the 15, making his Vizag debut are higher.
With PTI inputs
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