Indian top order batsman, Ruturaj Gaikwad ruled out of the two match test series against South Africa. The 26 year old right handed batsman injured his ring finger during the 2nd ODI at Gqeberha. Rajat Patidar made his debut in place of Gaikwad. On further assessment by the BCCI medical team, they confirmed he will need more than three weeks to recover from the injury.
On his first outing in South Africa Gaikwad struggled to adapt to the conditions and managed to score nine runs in two matches. His performance in domestic cricket earned him his maiden call for the test squad. His recent injury will further delay his debut in Test matches for India.
West Bengal Opener replaces Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Squad
West Bengal’s opening batter Abhimanyu Easwaran has been named as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s replacement by the selection committee. Easwaran scored 798 runs in eight matches in the latest edition of Ranji Trophy. He will join the team as a stand by and will have for a longer time to make his test debut.
The two-match test series starts with the boxing day test at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26. The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg will host the second test match starting from January 3.
India last won a test series against South Africa in 2006 at Johannesburg and managed to win four out of the 23 test matches played in South Africa since 1992. South Africa is one place the young brigade is yet to conquer in the last decade. They conquered Australia twice at home and it is time to rewrite history for the Indian test team.
The test series will have huge implications on the World Test Championship points table. With 24 points up for grabs it is going to be a fierce battle between both the teams. The return of test specialists Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin will bolster the squad.
Mohammad Shami’s unavailability for the test series due to injury is a huge loss for the team. Shami played a vital role in India’s dominance away from home. Mukesh Kumar replaces Shami for the two match series. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan are the other two players who will miss the test series.
India’s squad for Test series: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Abhimanyu Easwaran, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk)
India tour of South Africa Test Series Schedule
- 26 to 30 December 2023 – 1st Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion
- 03 to 07 January 2024 – 2nd Test at Newlands, Cape Town
Read More: Ishan Kishan Opts Out of Test Series Due to Mental Fatigue
