KL Rahul is seemingly to keep wickets due to the unavailability of Wriddhiman Saha and a wicket-keeper batsmen Rishabh Pant to join a warm-up match in Durham. Mayank Agarwal is set to open for India against County Select XI.
The attempt of Mayank Agarwal to return his place in Indian Test eleven starts on Tuesday when he will be engaged in a three-day game against ‘County Select XI’. The first match is starting on 20th July, Tuesday, and will show how Rishabh Pant’s absence influenced KL Rahul to keep wickets. Many sportsmen from the cricket community believe that the upcoming game is worth being treated as a “first-class” match, the first for India in many years since Mahendra Singh Dhoni took over as captain. According to the team management, the proper first-class game during the series will help the team to get into a groove before the start of the Test series next month.
A positively tested for COVID-19 Pant has already completed his stipulated 10-day isolation. Pant, who had tested positive for COVID-19, has completed his stipulated 10-day isolation with his acquaintance in London and now is “recovering well”. Nonetheless, he is yet to join the team bubble in Durham.
“Even if Pant would have reached in time for the practice game, he would have been given adequate rest to get back in peak physical condition. He has been asymptomatic but would need to train well ahead of the first Test in Nottingham,” an anonymous senior BCCI official told PTI.
KL Rahul, who has been doing keeping drills, will don the big gloves as has been reported lately. Anyways, the team’s management will have an eye on Mayank’s form as he is likely to assist Rohit Sharma’s first Test due to the discharge of Shubman Gill connected with his shin splints.
However, Mayank couldn’t show his best performance in Australia and consequently lost his place to Rohit because of his isolation connected with a positive COVID-19 test.
It is understood, that Rahul, who scored the bulk of his 2000 runs opening the innings, is being considered as a middle-order batsman and may be chosen for the series if one of the senior batters don’t get back to form.
Mohammed Siraj will like to give a good picture of himself in the bowling department and Jasprit Bumrah wouldn’t mind getting a few wickets under his belt as Ravichandran Ashwin did last week for Surrey.