T Natarajan has been named as the replacement player for the injured Umesh Yadav for the remaining two test matches against Australia. Ahead of the 3rd test against Australia Umesh has been ruled out owing to a strain in his left calf muscle happened on the third day of the 2nd Test in Melbourne.
T Natarajan Names as Replacement for Umesh Yadav
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) made the announcement on Friday through a statement in which it stated that Umesh Yadav had sustained a strain in his left calf muscle during the second test match against Australia.
Owing to the seriousness of the injury Indian roped in T Natarajan to replace Umesh Yadav in the 3rd and 4th test match against Australia.
NEWS: T Natarajan to replace Umesh Yadav in India’s Test squad. #TeamIndia #AUSvIND
Details 👉 https://t.co/JeZLOQaER3 pic.twitter.com/G9oXK5MQUE
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 1, 2021
“The fast bowler will not recover completely ahead of the remaining two Test matches and has been ruled out of the series. The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named T Natarajan as Yadav’s replacement,” the statement said.
Mohammed Shami Ruled Out of Australia Test series
It added that Mohammed Shami has also been ruled out for the rest of the series due to a hairline fracture in his right forearm and Shardul Thakur has been announced as the replacement for Shami.
Shami and Yadav will be returning to the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru for the rehabilitation of their injuries.
Indian batsman Rohit Sharma will join the Test team as its vice-captain. The Indian opener was not part of the team in its first two matches.
Natarajan made his T20 international debut in the current tour of India in Australia and played all three matches.
Natarajan stayed on in Australia with the squad after a successful limited-overs initiation into the Indian team.
He was the highest wicket-taker across the two sides in India’s T20I series win – six wickets in three games at an average of 13.83 and an economy rate of 6.91. Prior to that, he made his ODI debut in Canberra, finishing with 2 for 70 in India’s 13-run win as India lost the series 2-1.
Will T Natarajan named in the playing XI?
The fast bowler could make his Test debut too, depending on the playing XI chosen by skipper Rahane for the third test.
If Natarajan does make a debut in either Sydney or Brisbane, he will be the first left-arm seamer to play Test cricket for India since Zaheer Khan played his 92nd and last Test in February 2014 in Wellington.
Team India Test squad
Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan
