India vs. Sri Lanka: The fit Axar Patel is likely to be included in the Indian squad for the 2nd Test which begins on March 12 in Bengaluru.
Fit Axar Patel is likely to be back for the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka (AP Photo)
HIGHLIGHTS
- Axar Patel has recovered from his shin splint injury
- Kuldeep Yadav was part of the squad for the 1st test in Mohali
- India will meet Sri Lanka in a pink ball test starting March 12
Left arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been dismissed from India’s Test squad for the second game of the current series against Sri Lanka which begins on March 10. Kuldeep was called up in the 18-man squad but failed to make the first eleven in the first test in Mohali, despite India playing with 3 spinners.
Kuldeep Yadav was included in the Test squad alongside Bihar left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar after Axar Patel was unavailable with a shin injury that also sidelined him from the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka and West Indies and the tour as a whole kept out of South Africa.
However, Axar Patel is fully fit again and is likely to be included in the Test squad for the Pink Ball game against Sri Lanka, BCCI sources have said.
Most recently, Axar Patel played at home against New Zealand last year. He recorded 9 wickets in 2 games against the Black Caps before suffering the injury.
It will be interesting to see if Axar gets a game in Bengaluru as India and Sri Lanka will look to capitalize on the conditions in the pink ball test. With R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja sure to start, India could look to step up the pace attack for the 2nd Test.
India beat Sri Lanka by one innings and 222 runs in the first Test at Mohali as Rohit Sharma began his captaincy with a winning streak. India rode Ravindra Jadeja’s 175 and a spin bowling masterclass from the all-rounder and R Ashwin to complete the win in 3 days.
