As India prepare for the third Test of the ongoing five-match series against England, they are unlikely to be bolstered by the arrival of Virat Kohli. The former Indian skipper, who missed the first two Test matches owing to personal reasons, is now expected to miss at least the next two fixtures, if not the entire series, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo.
According to the report, the Indian team management currently lacks clarity about Kohli’s availability for the fifth Test, which will be played in Dharamsala, albeit he is all but certain to miss the upcoming expeditions in Rajkot and Ranchi.
An official clarification about the reason behind Kohli’s unavailability has not been issued, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) encouraging fans to respect the batter’s privacy. However, AB de Villiers – Kohli’s former Royal Challengers Bangalore – informed that Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma are expecting a second child.
“His (Virat Kohli) second child is on the way. Family time is crucial to him. If you are not true and genuine to yourself, you lose track of what you are here for. I think most people’s priority is family. You can’t judge Virat for that. Yes, we miss him. But he has made absolutely the right decision (by opting to skip the first two Tests,” the former South African cricketer had said on his YouTube channel.
Siraj Set To Return, Jadeja & Rahul’s Rehab Going Well
Whilst Rohit Sharma will not have Kohli to aide him, the Indian team is likely to be strengthened by the addition of Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. Among the trio, speedster Siraj is an automatic addition, as he was rested for the second Test owing to workload management.
Jadeja and Rahul had both missed the Visakhapatnam Test – owing to a hamstring injury and a quadriceps strain respectively – but they have been undergoing rehabilitation in Bangalore’s National Cricket Academy (NCA). It is being reported that the pair has been making good progress, and might be fit in time to feature in the third Test.
With India making a comeback in Visakhapatnam after losing the opening Test in Hyderabad, the series is currently hanging in the balance. The third Test will be played in Rajkot’s Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium from 15 to 19 February, before the entourage moves to Ranchi for the fourth Test, set to commence on 23 February. The final Test will be played in Dharamsala from 7 to 11 March, following which the players will join their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.
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