India’s batting stalwart Virat Kohli will not be in action for the hosts at any stage in the ongoing five-match Test series as he continues to remain unavailable for selection due to personal reasons. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a 17-member squad for the final three Tests against England and Virat was a notable absentee.
After not being named in the squad for the first two Tests, reports suggested that the former India captain was expected to be available for the final three games but that is not going to be the case anymore.
Notably, Virat’s non-participation in the series has brought curtains on one of his long-standing records in Tests. For the first time in his 13-year-long Test career, Virat is going to miss an entire series at home or away.
Virat’s unavailability has led to a spike in the headaches that the Indian team management is already battling against.
Significantly, the Indian team hasn’t had the best of times with the willow in hand in the ongoing series against an inexperienced English spin attack.
Barring Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal, none of the other India batters have managed a century. In addition to that, only two (Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul) other India players apart from the ones mentioned earlier have notched up scores of fifty or more.
A lacklustre performance against a spin attack that only features one spinner who is arguably assured of his place in the XI, regardless of where the Three Lions play, is concerning and has raised doubts over India’s ability to handle spin at home.
India’s squad for the last three Tests vs England:
Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul*, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja*, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.
