Surprisingly, as the team gets ready for the forthcoming two-test series against South Africa, Indian cricket finds itself battling unanticipated obstacles. The team’s plans are in turmoil as a result of Virat Kohli unexpected departure due to a family emergency and Ruturaj Gaikwad persistent finger ailment.
The 26-year-old opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who showed promise, will not play in the Test series against South Africa. His finger injury received during the second ODI against the hosts on December 19 has not entirely healed, according to sources close to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“The hit he took to his ring finger during the second ODI hasn’t completely healed for him. The BCCI Medical Team is still in charge of him,” the BCCI stated, as cited by Cricbuzz.
The team faced further difficulties when former Indian captain Virat Kohli had to leave South Africa early because of a family issue. Although the specifics of the emergency are still unknown, BCCI insiders guarantee that Kohli will be back in Johannesburg in time for the first Test, which is scheduled to start on December 26. On Friday, Kohli—who departed for Mumbai three days ago—will be back with the team.
In spite of these disappointments, other players have had the chance to shine during the three days of the intra-squad match in Pretoria. Abhimanyu Easwaran and Sarfaraz Khan took full advantage of their opportunities, and pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, and captain Rohit Sharma were all in fine form.
At the moment, the Indian players are scattered, taking part in several competitions. After the three-day match on Friday and the end of the ODI series on Thursday, all of the Indian team’s players will be in Johannesburg. After that, they’ll travel to Centurion in preparation for the next test. Following the conclusion of the Boxing Day Test on December 30, the squad will travel to Cape Town for the second and final Test, which is set to begin on January 3.
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