India will be playing the fourth Test against England without the services of KL Rahul. Few days back while BCCI had announced that KL Rahul will remain sidelined owing to an injury he picked up during the series' opening Test. The 31-year-old's inclusion in the final Test against England at Dharamsala will depend on the outcome of a fitness assessment.
KL Rahul failed to attain full fitness after experiencing discomfort in his right quadriceps during the first Test held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad which India lost to England.
Vikram Rathour on KL Rahul's fitness
Meanwhile, on the eve of the fourth Test against England, India's batting coach Vikram Rathour came up with an update on Rahul's fitness. In the pre-match press conference when Rathour was questioned about Rahul's fitness he said"
“KL Rahul is not fit at the moment. wo kitne percent fit hai abhi aur kya stage hai usko medical team will be able to advise that. (I don’t know about the percentage but as far as I am concerned, it’s either fit or unfit. As of now, he is unfit. BCCI’s medical team will be in a better position to know about the injury)”.
Bumrah is fine: Rathour
On Jasprit Bumrah's absence, Rathour stated that the leading fast bowler is sitting out the 4th Test as a strategic decision by the BCCI for managing his workload. Bumrah role will be pivotal in Dharamsala. However, looking ahead, Bumrah's participation is essential for the lengthy IPL 2024 season and the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024. After missing the previous T20 World Cup and the WTC Final, ensuring Bumrah's fitness is paramount for India. Consequently, on a pitch that slightly favors spin, India is cautious not to overburden Bumrah.
“Bumrah is fine. Every game is crucial. We would have loved to have Jasprit Bumrah for all the games but the kind of workload he has had, it was thought to give him rest. He was absolutely fine but we also have to keep in mind the workload ahead,” Rathour further added.
'Every time we play in India, there’s question mark on pitch'
Team India's batting coach, Vikram Rathour, weighs in on the Ranchi pitch before the 4th Test against England in IND vs ENG series. His observations are particularly timely amidst ongoing discussions about the pitch favoring spinners. Rathour points out that the nature of the pitch in India always seems to be under scrutiny whenever a match is scheduled.
“Every time we play in India, there’s question mark on pitch. It’s a typical Indian wicket. There are cracks. It will turn. But how much and from when we aren’t sure,” Rathour said in a pre-match press conference.
India hold a 2-1 series lead, recovering impressively from a disheartening loss in the opening match in Hyderabad. The team secured the series lead with a record-breaking victory in terms of runs in the third Test in Rajkot.
India’s updated squad for 4th Test
Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), K.S. Bharat (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
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