All eyes will be on the Indian cricket team's senior players, who are demanded to perform well after recent poor showings. The star Indian wicketkeeper batter KL Rahul's future is lying in jeopardy after regular backlash after sub-standard performances.
KL Rahul Injury Raises Alarm for Team India Ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy
KL Rahul had to leave the pitch after getting hit on the elbow while batting in a Perth simulation match, giving Team India a worry one week before the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Rahul got injured by a bouncer to his right elbow while participating in the intra-squad practice match. Despite obtaining rapid medical care, the 32-year-old was unable to continue and was forced to quit injured owing to pain.
Given the initial Test of the series scheduled to start on 22 November at Optus Stadium in Perth, the pictures of Rahul hobbling off the pitch in agony raise questions. Rahul had been supposed to cover for skipper Rohit Sharma, who is probably going to miss the game for personal reasons.
Rahul began the innings in the practice match with Yashasvi Jaiswal, suggesting that India intended Rahul at the top of the order in the absence of Rohit.
India's preparations for the five-match series opener might suffer a major blow if the injury turns out to be more severe than first believed. Early accounts, however, indicate Rahul should be fit for the Test match and the damage may not be significant.
In the event that Rahul's injury causes problems, India could need to think about other choices. This might include rearranging the batting order or introducing Abhimanyu Easwaran, maybe advancing Shubman Gill to open and letting Dhruv Jurel play middle order.
Apart from Rahul's injury concern, Team India suffered another blow on November 14 when Sarfaraz Khan was seen exiting the training session early after a knock to his elbow while batting. Fox Cricket's footage saw Sarfaraz going off the field after the blow.