Rahul and Jurel to Arrive Early for Match Practice Before Australia Test Series
KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel will join India A’s squad a week before the rest of India’s Test team to gain valuable match time ahead of the five-Test series against Australia starting November 22 in Perth. The two players will feature in the second and final four-day fixture against Australia A, scheduled to begin on November 7 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). India A lost the first game by seven wickets in Mackay, with a ball-change controversy marring the final day.
Rahul, who was dropped from India’s XI after a disappointing performance in the first Test against New Zealand, where he scored a duck and 12 runs, has not been part of the team since. He made way for Shubman Gill in the second and third Tests of the series, which India lost 3-0, marking their first home whitewash in 24 years.
Jurel, who made his Test debut against England earlier this year, has not played in any of India’s five home Tests since Rishabh Pant’s return. He has had limited red-ball opportunities since March, including two outings in the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup. His recent performance includes a quick 93 off 121 balls against Mumbai in the Irani Cup.
The move to send Rahul and Jurel early for match practice comes after the Indian team decided to cancel their intra-squad warm-up fixture in Perth. With only three days allocated for training, captain Rohit Sharma explained that the team opted for match simulations, where batters can spend more time in the middle and bowlers can bowl longer spells, rather than playing a practice game.
The Indian squad is set to depart for Australia on November 10 and will train at the WACA ground ahead of the series opener at Optus Stadium, the site of their historic 2-1 series win during the 2018-19 tour.
Rohit is expected to miss the opening Test due to personal reasons, with Abhimanyu Easwaran, who recently scored four consecutive first-class centuries, potentially replacing him in the squad.
Updated on 4th November, 2024 by MyFortune11