Concerns for India’s top-order as key batters leave the field following injury
With less than a week to go for the first Test against Australia in Perth, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul have copped blows.
India have been dealt with injury woes ahead of the much anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy with the visiting side’s batting lineup left with questions to be answered.
During the intra-squad training match at the WACA, India’s number three batter Shubman Gill sustained a thumb injury, followed by his departure off the field.
The 25-year-old, who played a key role in India’s thrilling 2-1 series win last time around in Australia, has been among the regulars of India’s red-ball side.
Gill’s injury, however, wasn't the only concern for the touring party. KL Rahul had also copped a blow to his elbow while batting during the practice match.
But in a positive development for India on Sunday, Rahul has been declared fit and cleared to play.
“Based on the scans and reports, I was more confident that he would be fine. It was just a matter of controlling the pain and giving him some confidence. So from a medical point of view, he is absolutely fine,” said Yogesh Parmar, the Indian team physio.
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With three scores of over 50 and an average of 75, KL Rahul enjoyed a prosperous World Cup.
Rahul had also featured for the India-A side in the unofficial Test against Australia-A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground earlier this month.
Despite his recent lean patch for the senior side, the 32-year-old has been lauded by India's head coach Gautam Gambhir as a versatile batter, who can come in handy for the upcoming series.
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“That is the quality of the man. That he can actually bat at the top of the order. He can bat at No 3. And he can actually bat at No 6 as well. So, you need quite a lot of talent to be doing these kinds of jobs as well,” Gambhir said recently.
“He’s kept wickets in the one-day format as well. So, imagine how many countries have players like KL who can actually open the batting and can bat at No 6 as well? I feel that if need be, he can do the job for us. Especially if Rohit is not available for the first Test,” he added.
India are also missing captain Rohit Sharma, who is yet to arrive Down Under, having recently announced the birth of his second child.
The first Test between India and Australia will kickstart on Friday, November 22.