ENG vs IND: Virat Kohli missed India’s warm-up game due to a niggle.© AFP
India captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane were rested from India’s first-class warm-up game against Select County XI due to minor niggles but stand bye pacer Avesh Khan might have dislocated his thumb while stopping a Hanuma Vihari drive on the opening day. The BCCI gave an update Kohli and Rahane’s conditions after both were rested along with Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. “Kohli felt some stiffness in his back on late Monday evening and he has been advised rest from the three-day first-class warm-up game by the BCCI Medical Team.
“Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has mild swelling around his left upper hamstring. This has been addressed by an injection. He is not available for the three-day first-class warm-up game,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a media statement.
“However, the BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him (Rahane), and he is expected to fully recover well in time for the first Test against England starting from 4th August at Nottingham,” Shah further stated.
Since this is a first-class game, the option of just batting and not fielding is not there for the visitors. India’s red ball team suffered another injury scare as stand bye pacer Avesh Khan, turning up for ECB’s Select County XI, suffered a thumb injury, which might result in dislocation on the first day of the warm-up first-class game against his own team.
Avesh didn’t have a great first spell when Mayank Agarwal launched into him with a flurry of boundaries before bowling a better second and third spell. It was in his third spell during post lunch session that Avesh in reflex action tried to stop Vihari’s crushing bowler’s back-drive and hurt his thumb.
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He was seen writhing in pain and the Indian physio came out and thumb was immediately strapped and the commentators on Durham County’s ‘YouTube’ channel said that it could be a case of “thumb dislocation”.
India are wearing black armbands in the game to mourn the passing away of former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup hero Yashpal Sharma, who died on July 13 due to a cardiac arrest.
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