Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul back in Test squad but in doubt to play Rajkot Test: Here's why

On February 10 morning, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 17-member Test squad for the remainder of the Test series against England. Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul who missed the Visakhapatnam Test due to injuries returned to the squad ahead of the third Test in Rajkot. However, there was an asterisk against their name. 
 

Jadeja injured his hamstring whereas Rahul complained of pain in his right quadriceps after a 28-run loss in the Hyderabad Test. The duo was sent to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), Bengaluru where they underwent rehabilitation. 
 

However, it is not certain that they will be able to participate in the third Test in Rajkot which starts on February 15. 
 

“The participation of Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul is subject to fitness clearance from the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI said in the media release.
 

If both Jadeja and Rahul return for the third Test, it will be a big boost for Rohit Sharma-led India. Rahul is likely to bat at no.4 in Virat Kohli’s position. However, if Jadeja returns it will be interesting to see if the team management drops Axar Patel or Kuldeep Yadav. If India go with three spinners, Patel is more likely to warm the benches.
 

What if Jadeja and Rahul don’t regain full fitness before the third Test?
 

If Jadeja and Rahul are unavailable for the third Test, it will be a big headache for the team management. After Shreyas Iyer was ruled out due to injury, the middle-order looks inexperienced. Rajat Patidar is likely to retain his place whereas Sarfaraz Khan may get his debut cap. 
 

Patidar registered scores of 32 and 9 in the Visakhapatnam Test. However, he looked impressive in the first innings and was undone by the lack of bounce in the pitch. 
 

On the other hand, Sarfaraz was added to the squad after Rahul and Jadeja were injured. He scored a match-winning 161 for India A against England Lions in the second match of the three-match series before earning his maiden Test call-up. 
 

India’s Test squad versus England

Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul*, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep
 

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