Axar Patel, Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur have not travelled with the India team to Rajkot for the third and final ODI against Australia on Wednesday. Axar, who has been out with a left quadriceps strain since the Asia Cup, is understood to be recovering well, and the team management expects him to be fit in time for the World Cup.
Rohit Sharma, the captain, and Virat Kohli, who both sat out the first two games of the series, are back in the line-up, but Mohammed Shami, who played the first two games, and Hardik Pandya, who skipped the initial games as well, are not with the squad.
ESPNcricinfo understands that with just 13 players around – Mukesh Kumar was called up ahead of the second ODI – India might be forced to use local first-class players, who are part of the Saurashtra team, to chip in in the field if needed.
Axar was a part of India’s original World Cup 15, with Ajit Agarkar, the chief selector, saying at the press conference to announce the squad that India were “hoping Axar will be fit”. India did – and do – have back-up options in R Ashwin and Washington Sundar in case Axar doesn’t make the cut in time.
On Ashwin, Rohit had said at that same press meet, “The games against Australia will give us a chance to look at where he’s at.” As such, Ashwin has given a fair account of himself so far, returning 1 for 47 and 3 for 41 in the two games.
India have won the first and second ODIs against Australia, taking the series in the process. The first win, which took India to the No. 1 position in the ICC’s ODI team rankings, came by five wickets with eight balls in hand, after Australia fought back from a poor position. But in the second, India were as dominant as expected in home conditions, putting up 399 for 5 courtesy centuries from Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer and quick knocks from Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan and then stopping Australia at 217 in 28.2 overs – their DLS-revised target was 317 in 33 overs.
More to follow…
Source: ESPN Crickinfo