The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on December 23 officially announced that young batter Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out from the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. The 26-year-old right-handed batsman suffered an injury during the ODI series against South Africa, which has led to his withdrawal from the Test squad. Another 26-year-old batter Abhimanyu Easwaran has been named as Gaikwad's replacement.
Talking more about Gaikwad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter experienced the injury during the second ODI of the series against South Africa, which resulted in him missing the third and concluding ODI on December 21. This setback represents a notable interruption in Gaikwad's developing career at the international level. Having played in six ODIs and 19 T20 Internationals, he has yet to make his debut in Test cricket, and this injury has temporarily hindered his progression in the longer format of the game.
When it comes to Easwaran, the Bengal batter has performed stupendously well in the domestic circuit and has been knocking on the doors of the national team. It is important to note that Easwaran has been part of India's Test squad before but is yet to make his debut in international red-ball cricket. In 88 First-Class matches, the right-handed batter has scored 6,567 runs with the help of 22 centuries and 26 half-centuries. He averages 47.24 in domestic red-ball cricket.
The Indian Test squad has undergone several changes recently. Mohammed Shami, a key veteran pacer and standout performer in the 2023 ODI World Cup, was also ruled out of the Test series against South Africa due to incomplete recovery from an injury. Additionally, wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan withdrew from the series for personal reasons, leading to the inclusion of KS Bharat in the team.
These adjustments to the squad present both challenges and opportunities for the Indian team as they prepare for the upcoming series. The absence of players like Gaikwad and Shami creates a gap that needs to be filled, potentially offering chances for other players to step up and make their mark in the Test format. As the team gears up for the South Africa series, the focus will be on adapting to these changes and maintaining the competitive edge that has defined Indian cricket in recent years.
India’s Test squad for two Tests against South Africa: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran
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