Team India have been hit by injury and availability concerns ahead of the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, slated to take place at the Optus Stadium in Perth from November 22.
India’s regular No. 3 Shubman Gill fractured his thumb while fielding in the slips during the match simulation at the WACA on Saturday (November 16).
While Shubman will remain in Australia, he is unlikely to play the series opener, the Times of India reported.
Moreover, skipper Rohit Sharma has decided to stay back in India to spend more time with his family and new-born. His wife Ritika Sajdeh gave birth to a baby boy on Friday (November 15).
With both Gill and Rohit now missing, the Indian think tank is reportedly contemplating between Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan.
Both players travelled with the India A squad for the two four-day matches against Australia A last month and they are also part of the ongoing match-simulations in Perth.
According to the report, rest of the India A players are scheduled to fly out of Perth around midnight on November 17 but there is a strong possibility of one of the two left-handed batters staying back.
"The final call will be with the coach, captain and selectors but there is a strong possibility of management asking one specialist top-order batter to stay back for the series opener. Abhimanyu Easwaran is already there but one of Sai or Devdutt could well stay back too," TOI quoted a source tracking developments.
Devdutt Padikkal reportedly has impressed chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and this was one of the main reasons he was fast-tracked for the home Test series against England earlier this year. He played a solid knock of 65 on debut for India.
Padikkal continued his impressive run of form in the Australia A games, registering scores of 36, 88, 26 and 1. His experience in the top order will be crucial for the visiting Indian team.
On the other hand, Sai Sudharsan slammed a glorious century India A’s first unofficial Test against Australia A. He recently also hit a double hundred in the Ranji Trophy, a hundred in the Duleep Trophy and for Surrey in the English County circuit.
(With TOI Inputs)
