IND vs ENG Tests: Kohli opts out, Rahul and Jadeja make return in squad

The Board of Control for Cricket in India on Saturday confirmed that star Indian batsman Virat Kohli has pulled out of the remainder of the IND vs ENG TestsVirat Kohli will remain unavailable for selection for the remainder of the series due to personal reasons The Board fully respects and supports Mr Kohlis decision the BCCI said in a releaseVirat Kohli is currently abroad due to personal family matters The IND vs ENG Tests series is levelled at 11 after the hosts dominating win over visitors in VizagThe third match of IND vs ENG Tests will be played in Rajkot starting from February 15Also ReadIN PHOTOS Highest individual scores by Asian players in ODIsThat Kohli will be unavailable due to serious personal reasons was wellknown but BCCI brass wanted to check one final time if it could avail his services for the final Test in Dharamsala from March 711The selection committee always knew that Virat wont be available for the series and accordingly the contingency plan was kept ready Everyone in BCCI wants Virat to fulfil his family commitments and then come back with a free mind as and when he deems fit a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymityKL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja who missed the second test due to injuries have been named in the squad for the remaining three matches against England However their inclusion will be subject to clearance by the BCCIs medical teamJadeja had injured his hamstring during the opening Test while Rahul had a right quadricep niggle Jadeja 87 and Rahul 86 were the top two scorers in HyderabadRahul is already fit and ready to come back in the playing eleven He had a bit of tightness in his quadriceps and the medical team didnt want it to get aggravated In the case of Jadeja it is a strain and he is getting better There are still five days to go before the game and if he shapes up well nothing like it the source saidIf both Rahul and Jadeja return to the playing XI then Rajat Patidar who was named as Kohlis replacement will have to make way for one of them Shreyas Iyer sustaining injuries has already been droppedSenior batter Iyer who complained of groin and lower back stiffness has not been picked However his medical update has not been provided by the BCCIIt is believed that Iyer would have been dropped in any case and his injury made the decision easier for selectors If Shreyas was to be rested because of injury the BCCI medical bulletin would have had an update Since there are no updates it can be concluded that he has got the axe the source saidAlso Read IN PHOTOS First player from each country to score ODI doublecenturyIyer has not scored a fifty for the longest time and his mode of dismissals on battingfriendly Indian tracks is a cause of concernIt is understood that Iyer might not be considered for the longer version of the game in the near future as he has always been susceptible to short balls a weaknessIndia has one more big Test series in the current WTC cycle five games against Australia Down Under at the end of the year and Iyer with his technique is unlikely to get the selectors nod for games on tracks offering steep bounceThe only new face in the 17man squad is Bengal speedster Akash Deep who has been rewarded for his consistent show in firstclass cricket and in the recent India A vs England Lions Test seriesLeftarm spinner Saurabh Kumar has been released with Jadeja coming back while Mohammed Siraj is back in the squad in place of Avesh KhanAkash is also a handy batter and bowls at least 10 yards quicker than his Bengal teammate Mukesh Kumar who is lucky to retain his placeAkash is however unlikely to make his debut in Rajkot Currently he is playing a Ranji Trophy match against Kerala in Thumba and will link up with the squad only on February 13 Senior pacer Mohammed Siraj would be ahead in pecking orderIndia squad for IND vs ENG TestsRohit Sharma C Jasprit Bumrah VC Yashasvi Jaiswal Shubman Gill KL Rahul Rajat Patidar Sarfaraz Khan Dhruv Jurel WK KS Bharat WK R Ashwin Ravindra Jadeja Axar Patel Washington Sundar Kuldeep Yadav Mohd Siraj Mukesh Kumar and Akash DeepWith PTI Inputs