Indian all-rounder Axar Patel was ruled out of the first Test after he complained of knee injury in Team India’s practice session on Thursday. Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar, who have been training with the team as part of the standby group of players, have been added to the squad. He is the latest addition to the list of injured Indian players in recent times.
Axar Patel was roped in as Ravindra Jadeja‘s like for like replacement for the England Tests, however, he now will not be available for the first Test. Jadeja earlier was ruled out of the England tour with a dislocated thumb which he coped up in the third Test of the Australia tour.
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Axar Patel Ruled Out Of First Test With Knee Injury
Axar Patel ruled out of first @Paytm #INDvENG Test; Shahbaz Nadeem & Rahul Chahar added to India squad
More details 👉 https://t.co/2uk74iyVpW pic.twitter.com/MpUdUGMauB
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2021
Meanwhile, Indian skipper Virat Kohli explained the reason behind the selection of Axar Patel for the Test series against England in the pre-match press conference.
“The reason was basically to have someone very similar to Jadeja’s skillset, which Axar brings in, in all three departments of the game “That was the reason behind picking him. That falls directly into our plans. Because Jaddu was not available, Axar was preferred because he brings in the same kind of discipline,” Kohli said at the press conference.
Meanwhile, the BCCI will continue to monitor the progress of the Indian all-rounder. India thus have lost a key player before the start of the Test match who was called for cover for a more regular player in the team.
Axar Patel, played just 16 first-class fixtures since the start of 2018, averaging 21.82 with the bat and 23.07 with the ball. Making his international debut in 2014, Patel played 38 ODIs and 11 Tests for India. He is yet to play Test cricket for India and had he been available, he would have most likely debuted against England in Chennai.
Axar’s last international game for India was a T20I against South Africa in Cape Town in February 2018.
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