India vs Australia: Injured Vihari out of Brisbane Test, unlikely for Eng series

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India’s injury woes in the Test series against Australia compounded on Monday after the hero of their drawn game in Sydney, Hanuma Vihari, was ruled out of the fourth and final match with a hamstring tear that could keep him out of action for a considerable time. It has been learned that Vihari was taken for scans after the match got over and the reports are expected by late evening in Sydney or Tuesday morning.

However, a BCCI source confirmed to news agency PTI that Vihari is unlikely to be fit in time for the next Test match starting in another three days’ time. The Andhra player scored 23 off 161 balls in an exhausting performance to save the match with Ravichandran Ashwin.

“The extent of Vihari’s tear can only be ascertained after the scan reports come through. But even if it’s a grade 1 tear, he is out for at least four weeks and then will need some rehabilitation time. So it’s not only Brisbane Test but also, he won’t be a part of England Tests at home,” a senior source revealed to PTI.

In another important development, Shardul Thakur, with way more first-class experience and better batting abilities compared to rookie Thangarsu Natarajan, is likely to replace an injured Ravindra Jadeja in Brisbane on a track that is supposed to be the bounciest of the series. The BCCI confirmed that Jadeja will not be available for the Brisbane Test starting on Friday.

“Ravindra Jadeja suffered a blow to his left thumb while batting on Day 3 of the third Border-Gavaskar Test that concluded on Monday. He later went for scans and the results have shown that he has dislocated his thumb,” the BCCI said in a statement.

“The all-rounder will now consult a hand specialist in Sydney before he returns to India. He will then head to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for further management of his injury,” the release added.

With Jadeja being ruled out, the Indian team will have no option but to play one among Shardul and Natarajan with the former being the favorite at the moment. Shardul was also in contention to play the second Test of his career in Sydney but Navdeep Saini’s pace on a placid track became a clincher.

As far as Vihari’s replacement is concerned, the team only has two options — either to play Wriddhiman Saha as a wicketkeeper and Rishabh Pant purely as a batsman or bring in Mayank Agarwal as a middle-order batsman who can take on the second new ball.

As of now, there is little or no chance of an out-of-form Prithvi Shaw being considered in the playing XI. The Indian team won’t be missing Vihari to that extent against England as in a home series, there was little chance of him making it to the first XI with an extra bowler always being the preferred option.

Vihari will again be required on the seaming tracks in England where an extra batsman will certainly be a part of the playing XI. It is learned that both Vihari and Pant, who played a career-defining 97-run knock on Monday, were given multiple painkillers so that they could carry on.

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