Even after scripting two wins out of three matches in the series so far, the injury concerns has taken a toll on the Indian team ahead of the fourth Test at the historic Wankhede Stadium.
Gautam Gambhir, who made a return to the Test side after two years, as selectors instead went with KL Rahul. The right-handed batsman from Karnataka sustained a blow on his left-arm during practice and missed the Mohali Test. Strain on the left thigh of wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha kept him out of the squad too and Parthiv Patel was named as his replacement.
The inclusion of the Gujarat born wicket-keeper ended the opening slot crises for hosts as his innings of 42 and 67 up the order proved instrumental in India’s emphatic win over England in the third Test.
Not only this, Mohammed Shami, who showed signs of discomfort in the Rajkot Test was also undecided about his selection in the third Test. A BCCI official claimed the fast-bowler was having a niggle before the start of the play and also shared his thoughts of having an extra seam bowler in the squad.
“Shami was having some stiffness in his hamstring, I think. In Kolkata [against New Zealand], we saw a good green top. We had the luxury of playing an extra seamer there and it really paid off as Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] took a crucial five-wicket haul. That’s what we wanted to be ready for here as well.”
The future of Saha and Rahul will be determined in few days as Parthiv Patel is all set to seal his place in the squad for the fourth Test, which starts on December 8 in Mumbai.
However, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been released from the squad citing a shoulder injury too. The Baroda-born Pandya is expected to stay out of international cricket for six weeks to say the least. On the other hand, lanky fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been the latest omission from the squad as he has been released because of his wedding. This leaves India with only three fast bowlers despite having such a huge bench-strength.
In his absence, the pressure will surely mount on Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav. Between July 2016 and the second Test match against England, Shami has bowled 242 overs while Umesh has covered 206.
“Shami and Umesh are the only two bowlers consistently bowling 140-plus in tandem,” the official said. “That’s why we need have so many back-up options: to preserve them.
“Also, we have the luxury of playing at home, so you can accommodate an extra fast bowler and reduce their workload in the nets. After the amount of bowling they have bowled in the matches, you can’t expect them to be bowling in the nets. And there are also many series overseas next season, so there is nothing wrong with young fast bowlers being with the squad, to help them understand how things work in the team and learn,” he concluded.