Star pacer Mohammed Siraj suffered an injury scare on the final day of the second unofficial Test against South Africa A, sustaining a blow to his right hand while fielding for India A. The injury appeared painful, causing him to leave the field and join Rishabh Pant in the dugout, as the wicket-keeper was also not taking the field with the gloves.
Mohammed Siraj walks off the field after picking an injury
This two-match unofficial Test series between India A and South Africa A serves as preparation for the upcoming Test series between India and South Africa, set to be played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata and the Guwahati Cricket Stadium. India currently sits third on the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, having won four matches in the current cycle, alongside two losses and a draw.
Siraj had joined the India A squad following his return from the Australia tour. He bowled well in the first innings of the match, but his participation was cut short by this fielding injury. The blow was taken on his bowling hand, the right hand, and he was promptly taken off the field by the team physio, who seemed visibly concerned. With the main South Africa tour kicking off in less than a week, Siraj has a tight window of fewer than three days to recover sufficiently to begin bowling in the nets.
As India's second most prominent pace bowling option in Test cricket alongside Jasprit Bumrah, any potential absence from Siraj would be a significant blow. Should he be unable to recover in time, India is most likely to call up Akash Deep as his replacement in the playing XI for the upcoming series.
While an official update on Mohammed Siraj's injury from the BCCI or the Indian team is still awaited, his potential absence from the first Test against South Africa would necessitate a replacement from the current Test squad. In a move reflecting the team's needs, Akash Deep has been called back into the main India squad. He presents a like-for-like fast bowling option for Siraj and also offers some handy runs down the order. Other potential replacement options include Nitish Kumar Reddy, though he may not be as effective with the ball, and Axar Patel, but selecting him would result in the side fielding four spinners.
Dhruv Jurel in contention to play first Test against South Africa
The question of whether Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel can be part of the same India XI is a hot topic. It is highly likely that both players will feature for India in the playing XI for the first Test against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Jurel has been in spectacular form, having impressed against the West Indies previously, and carrying that momentum into the unofficial Test series against South Africa A by smashing twin centuries in the second match. This stellar batting form makes his inclusion in the side as a specialist batter alongside the returning Rishabh Pant a strong possibility.