India vs England 2024

Devdutt Padikkal likely to get his debut against England in fifth Test: Reports

With a commanding 3-1 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series against England, India is poised to make several alterations to their playing XI for the final Test starting on March 07 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Having already awarded four debut caps in the series, the Indian team management is considering granting the fifth to Devdutt Padikkal, who is set to make his maiden Test appearance if KL Rahul fails to recover from his injury in time.

Rahul who featured in the opening Test of the series in Hyderabad, was sidelined for the following three matches due to discomfort in his right quadriceps. The 31-year-old recently traveled to London to seek advice from a specialist who had previously treated his quadriceps injury. Reports suggest that the Indian team will gather in Chandigarh on Saturday, March 02, before flying via a chartered flight to Dharamsala. Consequently, the likelihood of Rahul fully recovering by then appears slim, paving the way for Padikkal to potentially debut in the Test match.

The report also indicates that after the conclusion of the Ranchi Test, Chairman of Selectors Ajit Agarkar convened a meeting with head coach Rahul Dravid, the coaching staff, and captain Rohit Sharma. Following Rahul’s decision to seek specialist advice in London, it was collectively agreed that the team would proceed with Padikkal. The left-handed batter has scored 2227 runs in first-class cricket from 31 matches, maintaining an impressive average of 44.54, including six centuries and 12 half-centuries. Notably, in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2024, Padikkal leads the batting charts for Karnataka amassing 556 runs at a remarkable average of 92.66 in four matches, with three centuries to his name

Rajat Patidar to play Ranji Trophy

Earlier, Rahul’s injury during the first game compelled the team management to include Rajat Patidar, who unfortunately failed to make an impact in the subsequent three Tests. The 30-year-old has managed just 63 runs from six innings in the series thus far, averaging 10.5. His form slumped to registering a pair of ducks in the second innings of the third and fourth Tests respectively. Given his poor performance, selectors are contemplating releasing Patidar from the squad to allow him to participate in Madhya Pradesh’s semi-final against Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy 2024.

However, this decision hinges on Rahul’s recovery and return to the squad, as India would require an additional batter in case a concussion substitute is needed. Currently, there’s uncertainty surrounding Rahul’s timeline for returning from London, and the right-handed batter will also need clearance from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) before resuming his batting duties.