Pacer T Natarajan has replaced Umesh Yadav in the Indian squad for the last two Tests against Australia, announced BCCI in a release on Friday.
The board further informed that Rohit Sharma has been included in the team as the vice-captain for the Sydney and Brisbane Tests of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
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Umesh Yadav had suffered a strain in his left calf muscle on Day 3 of the second Test in Melbourne. He has been ruled out of the remainder of four-match series.
Umesh’s injury was the third in the Indian bowling attack after Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. While Ishant has recovered but not gained complete Test match fitness, Shami and Umesh will undergo rehabilitation at the NCA in Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma, who missed the first two Tests of the four-match series between India and Australia due to injury, had been in a 14-day hard quarantine in Sydney after his arrival from India in mid-December. He flew to Melbourne on Wednesday to join the team.
Since arrival, the hard quarantine has meant that he has not had a chance of practice. India coach Ravi Shastri made it clear that Rohit wouldn’t simply walk in to the side and would have to prove his fitness.
India on Tuesday defeated Australia by eight wickets in the Boxing-Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Cricket Ground to level the four-match series 1-1.
Set a target of 70 after Australia were dismissed for 200 in their second innings on Tuesday, the Indians got to the target for the loss of opener Mayank Agarwal (5) and No. 3 Cheteshwar Pujara (3).
Shubman Gill, who hit seven fours in a delightful innings, was unbeaten on 35 and skipper Ajinkya Rahane on 27.
Rahane, who scored a gritty hundred in the first innings to lead India’s comeback at the Down Under, said going in with five bowlers worked well.
Team India squad for last two Tests: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan
