Who will sit out for the returning skipper Virat Kohli in the Mumbai Test? This has been the burning question for the last few days now. While some argued that the senior batsmen in the middle order – Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara, who are going through a bad form, should make way for the returning captain, on the other hand, there were many who felt the Indian opener Mayank Agarwal should be dropped.
Now ahead of the toss of the Mumbai toss, the BCCI revealed that the India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who led the Indian side in the absence of Virat Kohli has been dropped from the team, along with fast bowler Ishant Sharma and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, due to injuries they sustained in the first Test in Kanpur.
NEWS – Injury updates – New Zealand’s Tour of India
Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja ruled out of the 2nd Test.
More details here – https://t.co/ui9RXK1Vux #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/qdWDPp0MIz
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 3, 2021
Ajinkya Rahane sustained a minor left hamstring strain while fielding on the final day of the 1st Test match in Kanpur. Since he is yet to recover completely, he was ruled out of the 2nd Test match in Mumbai.
India’s star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s ouster from the playing XI has come out as a big blow for the team. The all-rounder suffered a right forearm injury during the 1st Test match in Kanpur. After undergoing scans, he was diagnosed with a swelling on his forearm. Jadeja has been advised to rest and is thus ruled out of the 2nd Test in Mumbai.
Just in: Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Ajinkya Rahane have been ruled out of the second Test in Mumbai due to injuryhttps://t.co/TiPblXgMLv #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/OKRSn0KTkz
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) December 3, 2021
Talking about the fast bowler, Ishant Sharma dislocated his left little finger during the final day of the 1st Test match in Kanpur. He is thus ruled out of the 2nd Test in Mumbai. The BCCI Medical Team will continue to monitor the progress of all three players.
In the meantime, fans on social media started trolling the BCCI for saying that Rahane was dropped because of injury.
Here, check out the reactions of Twitterati on this:
Ajinkya Rahane , Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja After hearing their injury news:#INDvsNZ #Wankhede #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/qNxHg2mmEY
— Akshay Fulwani (@Akshay_Fulwani) December 3, 2021
India’s most successful selection committee chairman is the niggler. Most convenient. #INDvNZ
India and New Zealand have been hit by injuries minutes before the second Test in Mumbai, with all of Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma
— Vaitheeswaran K (@vaitheek) December 3, 2021
Indian team sending Ajinkya Rahane to hospital for scans #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/Byoy8LiGYi
— Aman (@BeInG_a_MaN1) December 3, 2021
Ajinkya Rahane ruled out of the 2nd Test due to injury.
Indian fans: pic.twitter.com/bT3zYp6lfs
— Mon (@4sacinom) December 3, 2021
Ajinkya Rahane has never played a Test match at his home ground Wankhede Stadium.#INDvNZ
— K I R A N ?? (@Kiran_reddy_k) December 3, 2021
BCCI: Ajinkya Rahane is injured.
Ajinkya: But I’m not.
BCCI: pic.twitter.com/ARX7mBOfKY
— Shridhar V (@iimcomic) December 3, 2021
ICT causing a last minute niggle to Rahane https://t.co/0Cfk4XusjP pic.twitter.com/7VUdClZWBb
— President Misbah (@MisbahPresident) December 3, 2021
Ajinkya Rahane is not playing 2nd Test Match because of Injury…? #MumbaiTest #AjinkyaRahane pic.twitter.com/CU3Nu7W7HW
— Ashutosh Srivastava (@ashutosh_sri8) December 3, 2021
Indian fans watching Ajinkya Rahane left out for this test match bcz of “Injury”: pic.twitter.com/z7bpVkYgCC
— Abhishek Tripathi (@abhithecomic) December 3, 2021
Ajinkya Rahane is out due to injury.
Me to BCCI- pic.twitter.com/WLKBwM3k2k— Positive Entropy (@EntropyPositive) December 3, 2021
What team management indirectly said to Ajinkya Rahane: pic.twitter.com/8IQGlaPaZE
— Abhishek Tripathi (@abhithecomic) December 3, 2021
Meanwhile, the start of the second Test match was delayed due to the slightly wet ground at the Wankhede stadium caused by heavy rains that lashed the city on Wednesday.
