 "IND-ENG 3rd Test: Will Kohli play? Update on Siraj-Rahul's inclusion in XI")
India will likely face England's Bazball threat for the remainder of the series without its most experienced batter, Virat Kohli. If reports have to be believed, Kohli is still unavailable for selection for the third and fourth Tests.
The news agency PTI has reported, quoting a BCCI source, that Kohli is set to miss the Rajkot and Ranchi Test due to personal reasons.
"The BCCI has time and again made it clear that when it comes to family matters, it stands firmly behind the cricketer, and it will be Virat's call when he is ready to make a comeback. As of now, it looks unlikely that he will play in the series," the report quoted a BCCI source as saying.
How does the absence of Virat Kohli hurt India?
Kohli has been the backbone of India's batting line-up. Whether he scores or not, his presence keeps the opposition on their toes, and his role as former India captain also helps the captain with his cricketing brain.
However, India has been missing its charismatic batter the most during the India vs England series. With Kohli gaining his form back in the ODI World Cup, his ability to deal with spinners and play an anchor role in the middle is needed to stop the batting collapse.
Check India vs England 3rd Test match details here
Check India vs England 3rd Test match details here
In the absence of Kohli, the inexperienced Indian batting lineup has failed miserably against England's spinners. Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer also looked clueless against James Anderson.
If it has not been Jaiswal's double century in the first innings and Gill's century in the second innings, India could have faced another defeat in the series.
Virat Kohli runs against England
| Virat Kohli Test records | |||||||
| Span | Matches | Runs | Highest score | Average | Hundreds | Catches | |
| Overall | 2011-2024 | 113 | 8848 | 254* | 49.15 | 29 | 111 |
| Vs England in India | 2012-2021 | 13 | 1015 | 235 | 56.38 | 3 | 13 |
| Vs England in UK | 2014-2022 | 15 | 976 | 149 | 33.65 | 2 | 12 |
Nasser Hussain voices support for Kohli's family break
Nasser praised Kohli for his accomplishments over the course of his 15-year career, saying that any team would be remiss to have a batter of his caliber in the lineup.
"Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batters ever to play the game and any series and any side will miss someone of the stature of Kohli. The game needs to look after the likes of Kohli as well. He has been playing international cricket for more than 15 years now and if he needs a break to be away with family just some time away from the game we wish Virat Kohli all the best. It means we don't have the mouthwatering possibility of an Anderson-Kohli contest that we have seen over the years so be it," former England captain Hussain.
India vs England Test series schedule, venue and date
| India vs England Test series schedule | ||||
| Matches | Time (IST) | Date | Venue | Result |
| 1st Test | - | started on Jan 25 | Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad | England won by 28 runs |
| 2nd Test | - | started in Feb 1 | Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam | India won by 106 runs |
| 3rd Test | 09:30:00 | Feb 15-19 | Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot | TBD |
| 4th Test | 09:30:00 | Feb 23-27 | JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi | TBD |
| 5th Test | 09:30:00 | 07/03/11 | HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala | TBD |
India cricket team injury news ahead of IND vs ENG 3rd Test
KL Rahul fitness update and his return to India Playing 11
KL Rahul likely to return to India Playing 11 for the third Test as he is expected to regain his fitness in the coming days. With Rahul back in the mix, India's batting order will get the much-needed boost.
Ravindra Jadeja fitness update
Ravindra Jadeja is all but out of the India vs England Test series. However, he has been recovering well.
Bumrah's workload management and return of Siraj
Jasprit Bumrah's workload management has been another major concern following the India lynchpin's 33 overs burst for a nine-wicket haul in the Vizag Test, which helped India level the five-match series.
With the result of the Rajkot Test certainly shaping the winner of the series, it will not be easy for the management to rest its premier bowler. Inevitably, he won't play in the following match in Ranchi, which is scheduled to begin three days after the third Test, if he plays in Rajkot.
After getting time off due to workload in Visakhapatnam, Mohammed Siraj will return, and Mukesh Kumar will almost definitely be dropped from India's XI for the Rajkot Test.
India Playing 11 vs England for the second Test
Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.
BCCI have not announced the India squad for the remaining three Test matches against England yet.
BCCI have not announced the India squad for the remaining three Test matches against England yet.