The selection committee and the Indian team management led by captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid are uncertain about releasing some players ahead of the fifth and final Test against England. The game will be played on March 7 in Dharamsala.
The fitness issues of KL Rahul has got the think tank worried. According to the reports, Rahul has gone to London to consult a doctor regarding discomfort in his right quadriceps. The injury has kept him out of the last three Tests against the Ben Stokes-led team.
The selectors will take a call by March 2, when the players return for the final contest. If Rahul doesn’t get fit, the selectors and the management would continue with Rajat Patidar, which they are not in favour of.
According to a Times of India report, the selectors want to release Patidar to allow him play for Mandhya Pradesh in the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy. MP will take on Vidarbha on March 2.
Patidar has scored just 32 runs in six innings of his Test career, with two ducks. The manner of his dismissal has worried the team and selectors.
If Rahul regains his fitness, the team management will release Patidar. “The team management would want to see Rajat Patidar playing in the Ranji Trophy but that depends on KL Rahul’s fitness. If Rahul is ruled out, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid would keep Rajat in the squad,” a source was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
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