India have been dealt a crushing blow ahead of the all-important Test series against England, with quick Avesh Khan and all-rounder Washington Sundar sustaining finger injuries. A report carried out by ESPN Cricinfo stated that Khan bowled only 9.5 overs playing for the County Select XI before fracturing his thumb while trying to stop the ball. Sundar, too, as per Cricbuzz, has suffered a finger injury that will hamper his batting. With Khan and Sundar ruled out, the number of players out of the tour has moved up to three as opener Shubman Gill has already been sidelined.
According to the report in Cricbuzz, Wriddhiman Saha, Abhimanyu Easwaran and bowling coach Bharat Arun, who had earlier tested positive for COVID-19, have completed their required period of isolation and are set to re-join other members of the touring party on Friday, even as the team management stresses over the growing number of players in the injury list.
UPDATE – Fast bowler Avesh Khan remains under observation of the BCCI Medical Team. He will not be taking any further part on Day 2 and Day 3 of the warm-up game. https://t.co/Owc7fQpBL0
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 21, 2021
“Fast bowler Avesh Khan remains under observation of the BCCI medical team,” the BCCI tweeted on Wednesday, adding that the 24-year-old pacer would miss the remainder of the warm-up match. An official statement is yet to arrive on the injury status of Sundar. Interestingly enough, Sundar took the field on the third day of the practice game and even grabbed a catch.
India captain Virat Kohli skipped the match after experiencing stiffness in his back, although he has resumed batting in the nets. His deputy Ajinkya Rahane also sat out with a swollen hamstring but is expected to be fit for the series opener at Nottingham on August 4. In their absence, Rohit Sharma is leading the tourists against a County Select XI.
