Just hours before the 1st IND vs ENG Test, India have received a major blow as spin bowler Axar Patel is ruled out of the match due to a Knee injury. The team management has announced Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar as his replacement and added in the squad as a replacement for Axar.
Axar Patel Ruled out of the England Test series
Patel was picked as a replacement for star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who is recovering from an injury and was in line to make his Test debut.
Axar Patel ruled out of first @Paytm #INDvENG Test; Shahbaz Nadeem & Rahul Chahar added to India squad
More details 👉 https://t.co/2uk74iyVpW pic.twitter.com/MpUdUGMauB
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 5, 2021
“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has added spinners Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar to India’s squad. Both Nadeem and Chahar have been training with Team India as part of the standby group of players,” the release also stated.
Both bowlers had already been on stand-by and training with the team, so they will already be part of the bio-secure bubble.
Shahbaz Nadeem replaced Axar
Finally, Shahbaz Nadeem has been dragged into the playing XI for the 1st test against England.
Nadeem brings immense experience with him. Having played 117 first-class games, he has 443 wickets in the format, 83 of which have come for India A at an average of under 30. Despite all that, he has played just the one Test though, against South Africa in Ranchi in 2019, finishing with match figures of 4 for 40.
Chahar, 21, on the other hand, has only 17 first-class games to his name after debuting in the format in 2016. But he offers a leg-spin option and is coming off an IPL in which he showcased some fearless tactics. He finished the IPL with 15 wickets at 28.86 for Mumbai Indians. Following the IPL, in the recently concluded domestic T20s, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he claimed 11 wickets in five games for Rajasthan.
India playing XI for 1st Test vs England
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Shahbaz Nadeem, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah.
