Ajinkya Rahane provides injury update ahead of first Test against England

Indian Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane on Monday gave an update about his injury that kept him out of the practice game against County Select XI last month. Rahane, while speaking to the press ahead of Tests against England, said he had a small niggle but is now fully fit and ready to play the first match. Rahane said he has had a couple of good practice sessions even though he did not play the warm-up game against the County XI side. 

When asked about India's opening pair and whether Cheteshwar Pujara could bat up the order, Rahane said the Gujarat cricketer is their best option for number 3 position in Test cricket, adding "He will continue to bat at number 3". Rahane added that the captain, coach, and the management will decide on the opening combination. Rahane also spoke about the challenges of being in the bio-bubble and England all-rounder Ben Stokes' decision to take an indefinite break from cricket. The middle-order batsman said it's all about understanding players' headspace. Rahane said he respects Stokes' decision to opt-out from the Test series to prioritise mental wellbeing. 

India vs England Tests

The Indian Test squad is currently practicing at Trent Bridge for the upcoming five-match series against England, starting August 4. The Indian team is missing some members from the original 17-member squad that was announced ahead of the World Test Championship final. Shubman Gill and Washington Sundar have been ruled out of the series due to untimely injuries, while Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav have been included in their place. Rishabh Pant, the wicketkeeper-batsman, had previously tested positive for COVID-19 disease, which dealt a significant blow to the team. Pant, on the other hand, has healed and has rejoined the team in Nottingham.

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav.

Image: PTI