IND v ENG 2021: ‘Fit’ Akshar available for second Test; Jadeja ruled out of England Tests- reports

The second Test in Chennai begins on February 13.

The Indian team has reportedly received two contrasting news ahead of the second Test against England to be played in Chennai from February 13. India has lost the first Test match, also played in Chennai, by 227 runs and are 0-1 down in the four-match series.

As for the bad news, left-arm all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the entire four-match Test series against England. Jadeja had suffered a dislocation of the thumb during the Sydney Test match against Australia and could not take part in the fourth final Test at Gabba, Brisbane.

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He underwent surgery in Australia and was sent to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for 'further management of his injury' after consultation with a hand specialist in Sydney.

It was expected that Jadeja would be fit for the 3^rd and 4^th Test matches against England, to be played in Ahmedabad with the 3^rd Test being a day-night affair. However, as per Cricbuzz reports, Jadeja's recovery is taking more time than expected and there's "no chance" he will be fit for the Tests.

Whether he will be fit for the white-ball matches against England is also not clear.

Akshar Patel fit and raring to go in the second Test, expected to replace Shahbaz Nadeem

Meanwhile, on the other hand, left-arm spinner and a like-to-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, Gujarat’s Akshar Patel has been deemed fit and returned to nets and is expected to play in the second Test match replacing Shahbaz Nadeem in the playing XI.

Akshar was scheduled to make his Test debut in the first match but complained of knee pain on the morning of the match and Nadeem played in his place. "Axar had a minor knee niggle and has already started batting at the nets. He is expected to start bowling during the next couple of days," a senior BCCI source told PTI on Wednesday.

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"He was always the first choice to play the opening Test but it will depend on skipper Virat Kohli, head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun," he added.

However, Nadeem’s poor performance in the first Test, in which he bowled 59 overs for 233 runs and picked 4 wickets, and also bowled 9 no-balls in the Test, left the Indian captain Virat Kohli disappointed as well.

Nadeem himself admitted that he has had some issues with the timing of his jump at the crease and he needs to sort that out in the nets.

In another welcome news for India will be that Ashwin is doing fine after he sustained a painful blow from a Jofra Archer short ball during the Indian second innings and needed immediate attention from the physio Nitin Patel.

(PTI/Cricbuzz inputs)