IND vs ENG: Ajinkya Rahane returns to the field, may play the first Test

After three players being ruled out of the Test series against England, Team India breathes a sigh of relief as vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane returns to the field for the practice sessions ahead of the first Test starting from August 4 in Nottingham.

Rahane suffered from mild swelling around his left upper hamstring and did not play India’s first-class game against Select County XI. Rahane is making a steady recovery after being administered an injection to reduce the swelling. If Rahane misses out on the first Test, KL Rahul may replace him in the middle order. Meanwhile, Mayank Agarwal is set to open alongside Rohit Sharma.

After Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar and Avesh Khan being ruled out of the Test series against England due to injury, BCCI has confirmed that Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw will join Team India for the Test series.

In any case, Shaw and Kumar are unlikely to reach Nottingham before the start of the first Test as they will have to undergo the mandatory quarantine before joining the team in the bio-bubble.