Ravindra Jadeja reaches NCA; doubts over a return for the remainder of England series

India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja reached the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru on Tuesday to begin rehabilitation, having incurred a hamstring injury on the fourth day of the opening Test match against England last week in Hyderabad. The injury ruled him out of the second Test match of the five-game series against England, slated to begin on February 2 in Visakhapatnam.

On Tuesday, Jadeja dropped the update on his Instagram as he shared a photo of the NCA with the caption: “Home for next few days.”

Jadeja’s injury rule-out implied that India will field a weakened batting line-up, having also lost batter KL Rahul to an injury while the very experienced Virat Kohli had already pulled out of the first two Test matches of the series due to personal reasons. Rahul complained of right quadriceps pain, as revealed in a BCCI statement on Monday.

Ravindra Jadeja has reached NCA for his rehab.

– In his prime, Jadeja is missing lots of home Tests is a sad part, come back strong. 🤞 pic.twitter.com/uOd7Hn7rwS

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 30, 2024

“The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring the progress of the duo,” the statement added.

BCCI’s selection committee hence included Sarfaraz Khan, Sourabh Kumar, and Washington Sundar in India’s squad for the second Test as replacements for Jadeja and Rahul.

Will Ravindra Jadeja return for the 3rd Test?

Jadeja had sustained the injury during his run out, which was inflicted by the brilliant Ben Stokes, the captain of the England team. And while the dismissal may not have been the turning point of the Hyderabad match, it could also decide the course of the series.

Just a day after Jadeja was ruled out of the second Test, with BCCI giving no clear indication how big the injury is, a Times of India report has revealed that the all-rounder could miss the entirety of the England Test series.

“Rahul could perhaps return later in this series, but Jadeja’s injury could be more serious. Let’s see what the NCA’s medical team tells us,” a source in the BCCI told the publication.

Who will replace Jadeja in India XI for 2nd Test?

Replacing Jadeja in the playing XI will be the toughest task for the Indian team management for the second Test. Since 2016, no other player averaged over 40 with the bat, while averaging below 25 with the ball in Test cricket, than Jadeja.

Albeit not a like-for-like replacement, Kuldeep Yadav would be the frontrunner to take the spot, given he was already part of the squad. However, that would weaken the batting line-up further as wicketkeeper KS Bharat will go to the No. 6 spot, followed by Ashwin at seven and Axar Patel at eight.

However, if Vizag serves as a rank turner, India could go the England way of having just one fast bowler in the line-up, that would mean resting Mohammed Siraj, who only bowled 11 overs across the two innings in the first Test. Kuldeep could replace the right-arm pacer while one between all-rounder Sundar, who last played a Test match in 2021, and Saurabh, who picked up a five-wicket haul and scored 77 batting at No. 8 last week for India A in an unofficial four-day match against England Lions, could replace Jadeja.

Also Read: Kuldeep Yadav should walk into India’s XI in place of Ravindra Jadeja even if it means sacrificing batting depth

Final Thought

Ravindra Jadeja, the Indian each-rounder, has reached the National Cricket Academy( NCA) in Bengaluru for recuperation after suffering a hamstring injury during the opening Test against England. His injury has raised dubieties about his return for the remainder of the series. India has formerly faced challenges with the absence of Virat Kohli and KL Rahul. The BCCI’s selection commission has included Sarfaraz Khan, Sourabh Kumar, and Washington Sundar as reserves for Jadeja and Rahul in the team for the alternate Test. The inflexibility of Jadeja’s injury remains uncertain, and his absence poses a significant challenge for India in seeking suitable relief. Kuldeep Yadav is a frontrunner for the spot, but it may further weaken the fur lineup. The choice of relief will depend on the pitch conditions in Visakhapatnam for the alternate Test.

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