KL Rahul has declared himself fit to play as an opener in the first Test against Australia, following an extended session in Perth. Skipper Rohit Sharma will miss the first Test match to spend time with his newborn child and is expected to join the team in Adelaide for the second Test. In Rohit’s absence, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will lead the team.
Rahul’s recovery eases team’s concern
Rahul’s participation was in doubt after he suffered a blow to the elbow while doing an intra-squad practice match at WACA. However, his recovery was a much-needed relief to the team management, particularly after Shuman Gill was ruled out of the first Test match because of a fractured thumb. As per the latest report, Rahul batted without showing discomfort in a three-hour session and thus confirmed his fitness for the match.
”I had a bad hit on Day 1 of the game but feel good now. It’s exciting to get used to the conditions beforehand and get ready for the series,” Rahul stated in a BCCI video shared on X. Team Physio Kamlesh Jain also gave assurance that the injury caused no serious concern. On the other hand, physio Yogesh Parmar underlined the focus on controlling pain and building up Rahul’s confidence.
Team India’s backup plan
The Indian team has completed its training at the WACA ground and will move to the Optus Stadium for match drills starting on Tuesday. The management has also retained Devdutt Padikkal and three other pacers-Khaleel Ahmed, Navdeep Saini, and Mukesh Kumar as backups for the India A squad.
The 24-year-old Padikkal is familiar with Australian conditions and he showcased his ability to tackle Bumarh in the nets which influenced the decision of the selectors. He made his Test debut against England at the start of this year and can serve as an additional batting support in case of need. The first Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is all set to commence on November 22, followed by the second Test scheduled to take place on December 6 in Adelaide.
(With inputs from PTI)