The second Test match between India and Australia, scheduled for February 17th in Delhi, is under the spotlight for a different reason than just the outcome of the match. India’s regular Test player Shreyas Iyer is likely to miss the match due to a back injury.
This news comes after Iyer was previously expected to join the Indian team for the remaining Tests but now, as reported by Times of India, it seems that he may not be available for selection.
Shreyas Iyer’s Injury and Rehabilitation
Shreyas Iyer had picked up a back injury which saw him miss the New Zealand home series, and he has been undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Although he is expected to travel with the team to Delhi, it is unlikely that he will be fit to play in the second Test.
This is a major blow to the Indian team who are already missing the services of left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat who was released to play the Ranji Trophy final for Saurashtra against Bengal.
Suryakumar Yadav, who made his Test debut in Nagpur, will now get another chance to prove his worth in the red-ball format. He was highly anticipated to make his entrance into Tests against Australia, but he couldn’t make a significant impact in his debut.
He got out to Nathan Lyon for eight runs in India’s only innings. However, he will look to make a better impression in the second Test and show why he was rated so highly coming off a great white-ball season.
Uncertainty in Indian Squad
The Indian team is unlikely to make any changes to their winning XI for the second Test, despite backlash on the internet over KL Rahul’s selection ahead of in-form Shubman Gill. The team management is expected to give Rahul another chance to prove himself.
On the other hand, Australia is expected to bring in a lot of changes to their XI after their humiliating loss in Nagpur. Mitchell Starc is expected to be roped in while the head coach, Andrew McDonald, has sounded confident about the inclusion of left-arm orthodox Matthew Kuhnemann into the side.
India’s hopes for a win in the second Test have taken a hit with the news of Shreyas Iyer’s unavailability. The team will have to rally together to overcome the loss of such a key player and find a way to secure a win in Delhi.
