India recall Rahane for World Test Championship final
Former vice-captain last played in a Test in January 2022 but has been in fine form in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament
25 April 2023 - 15:42
by Amlan Chakraborty
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New Delhi - India recalled middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at the Oval in June.
Former vice-captain Rahane played the last of his 82 Tests in January 2022 but has been in impressive form in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
With Shreyas Iyer sidelined due to a back injury which required surgery, India have gone back to Rahane, who averages 49.44 in Tests with 12 centuries to his name.
KS Bharat retained his place behind the stumps with first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant continuing his recovery from a car crash in December.
India will also be without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is completing his rehabilitation after undergoing a back operation in March.
Captain Rohit Sharma’s 15-member squad includes six specialist batters and three spin all-rounders — Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
India reached the final of the inaugural WTC in June 2021 but lost by eight wickets to New Zealand in a rain-hit contest in Southampton.
Australia announced their squad for the June 7-11 contest earlier this month.
• Jonny Bairstow will make his comeback from a leg injury this week when he turns out for Yorkshire’s second string against Nottinghamshire, as the England batsman looks to build up his fitness ahead of the Ashes series against Australia.
Bairstow has not played since suffering a freak injury on a golf course in September which ruled him out of the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup and Test series in Pakistan and New Zealand.
“He’s had such a long lay-off, so it’s a fitness assessment for him to see what his capacity is and what he can do on the field in terms [of] running around in the outfield or standing behind the stumps,” Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said.
“He will probably do both to see which one he’s most comfortable with.”
The five-Test Ashes series will begin at Edgbaston on June 16. England lost the previous edition 4-0 in Australia.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
India recall Rahane for World Test Championship final
Former vice-captain last played in a Test in January 2022 but has been in fine form in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament
New Delhi - India recalled middle-order batsman Ajinkya Rahane on Tuesday for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at the Oval in June.
Former vice-captain Rahane played the last of his 82 Tests in January 2022 but has been in impressive form in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.
With Shreyas Iyer sidelined due to a back injury which required surgery, India have gone back to Rahane, who averages 49.44 in Tests with 12 centuries to his name.
KS Bharat retained his place behind the stumps with first-choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant continuing his recovery from a car crash in December.
India will also be without pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is completing his rehabilitation after undergoing a back operation in March.
Captain Rohit Sharma’s 15-member squad includes six specialist batters and three spin all-rounders — Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
India reached the final of the inaugural WTC in June 2021 but lost by eight wickets to New Zealand in a rain-hit contest in Southampton.
Australia announced their squad for the June 7-11 contest earlier this month.
India squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul, KS Bharat (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat.
• Jonny Bairstow will make his comeback from a leg injury this week when he turns out for Yorkshire’s second string against Nottinghamshire, as the England batsman looks to build up his fitness ahead of the Ashes series against Australia.
Bairstow has not played since suffering a freak injury on a golf course in September which ruled him out of the 2022 Twenty20 World Cup and Test series in Pakistan and New Zealand.
“He’s had such a long lay-off, so it’s a fitness assessment for him to see what his capacity is and what he can do on the field in terms [of] running around in the outfield or standing behind the stumps,” Yorkshire head coach Ottis Gibson said.
“He will probably do both to see which one he’s most comfortable with.”
The five-Test Ashes series will begin at Edgbaston on June 16. England lost the previous edition 4-0 in Australia.
Reuters
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