Boost for India ahead of New Year’s Test as Shardul Thakur declared fit amid injury scare
Boost for India ahead of 2nd Test as Thakur declared fit amid injury scare
India receives a massive boost ahead of the New Year’s Test against South Africa in Cape Town as all-rounder Shardul Thakur is declared fit and available for selection following an injury scare during an optional training session. Thakur got hit on his left shoulder while facing throwdowns following the end of the Boxing Day Test, which ended within three days, with India losing by an innings and 32 runs.
Per the sources close to the information, Thakur is doing Okay, as the team management opted against recommending him undergo any treatment or scans. Despite suffering the blow during an optional session on Saturday, Thakur continued batting.
Meanwhile, since that was an optional session, only a handful of Indian players outside of Thakur, including captain Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Ashwin, Mukesh Kumar, Prasidh Krishna and KS Bharat, took guard, with members of support staff accompanying them.
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The Indian Team will fly from Johannesburg to Cape Town on Sunday for the second Test scheduled to start on January 3. Although several changes for the must-win game for India are expected, there is no word on Bharat replacing KL Rahul as a keeper in the side.
The India batter smashed his eighth Test ton in the first innings in Centurion and kept wickets on a tricky track. Despite this new challenge of keeping wickets in Tests, KL fared well and will retain his place as the keeper-batter for the next game.
Jadeja declared fit for New Year’s Test
On the morning of day one of the first Test in Centurion, Jadeja pulled up his back and got ruled out, with veteran Ravi Ashwin playing instead. The lanky spinner failed to inspire with both bat and ball, picking just one wicket.
With Jadeja now recovered from the ‘upper back spasm’, the all-rounder returned in contention for a place in the XI for the New Year’s Test. If he gets picked, Ashwin is most likely to sit out.
Meanwhile, following Prasidh Krishna’s below-par Test debut show, the team management is said to be contemplating playing Avesh Khan (roped in as Shami’s replacement) ahead of him, with the team eyeing a win to level-series and share honours.
