INDIA: Shreyas Iyer, the team’s inform hitter who missed the first Test because of a lower back injury, is still receiving treatment at the National Cricket Academy.
Therefore, it is unlikely that the team’s management will take the chance of having him play in the second Test between India and Australia, which begins on Friday at the Ferozshah Kotla.
Iyer and Bumrah to miss the upcoming matches
Iyer has shared a few videos of his rigorous rehabilitation schedule at the NCA in Bengaluru with trainer S Rajnikanth.
Iyer is following his strength and conditioning regimens. However, it is customary to play at least one domestic game of some kind before returning to the international stage.
Consequently, Iyer, who hasn’t participated in any competitive cricket for a month, might not be put into a Test match right away where he could have to field for 90 overs, crouch and stand near to the action, and then bat for several hours.
Iyer needs to show his fitness; thus, it will be seen if the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee includes him in the rest of India’s squad for the Irani Cup match against Madhya Pradesh from March 1–5, just as they did with Ravindra Jadeja for the Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, the Indian team management is also unlikely to risk playing Jasprit Bumrah in the three One-Day Internationals against Australia immediately following the conclusion of the four-match Test series because of his sluggish recovery from a stress fracture.
Bumrah will be required for both the significant ODI World Cup in India at the end of the year as well as the likely World Test Championship final at the Oval in London from June 7-11.
As a result, there is a chance that Bumrah will play again during the Mumbai Indians’ IPL campaign this year, where his workload will be watched.
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