India's star batter Virat Kohli had pulled out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons. A week ahead of the third Test against England in Rajkot, there is doubt over the participation of Kohli for the remainder of the Test series.
As per a report by ESPNCricinfo, Kohli is expected to miss the third and fourth Tests. In addition, there is a big question mark over his availability for the fifth and final Test of the series which will be played in Dharamsala starting March 6.
Last month, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had said in a statement, "Virat has spoken to Captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasised that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention."
In Kohli’s absence, Rajat Patidar was named his replacement. Patidar made his Test debut in the Visakhapatnam Test where he registered scores of 32 and 9. Shreyas Iyer batted at Kohli’s position but failed to convert starts into big scores.
Siraj set for comeback
While the squad for the remaining three Tests is yet to be announced, Mohammed Siraj is set to return for the Rajkot Test. Siraj had bowled just 11 overs in the Hyderabad Test which India lost by 28 runs. For the next Test, he was rested to manage his workload. He was replaced by Mukesh Kumar who remained wicketless in the first innings and took the wicket of tailender Shoaib Bashir in the second.
NCA physio to take call on Rahul, Jadeja
KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja sustained injuries in the Hyderabad Test. Rahul complained of pain in his right quadriceps whereas Jadeja injured his hamstring. In their absence, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Saurabh Kumar were added to the squad for the second Test. Jadeja and Rahul are currently at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. The final call on their availability for the third Test is to be taken by the NCA physio which will be followed by a fitness test.
India are set to take on England in the third Test at Saurashtra Cricket Association, Rajkot starting February 15.
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