India vs West Indies 2018: Ishant Sharma & Ravichandran Ashwin To Undergo Fitness Test On September 29

India bowlers Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin will undergo a fitness test on Saturday in order to confirm their availability for the upcoming Test series against West Indies.

During the third Test in Trent Bridge, Ravichandran Ashwin had suffered a groin injury. However, he did play the fourth Test as Virat Kohli had stated that he had completely recovered. The move, however, had backfired as Ashwin fared poorly.

In conditions where Moeen Ali picked up 9 wickets, Ashwin managed just three. Ashwin then went on to miss the fifth and final Test.

On the other hand, Ishant Sharma had injured his ankle in the fifth Test at The Oval. The pacer had left the field after bowling only one over on the fourth day and did not bowl thereafter.

A senior BCCI official confirmed that the off-spinner is rehabilitating at the National Cricket Academy. He further said that Ishant will join Ashwin soon before the two undergo fitness test.

“Ashwin is already doing his rehabilitation at the NCA for groin injury. Even Ishant is expected to join him there. As of now, there is a fitness test scheduled on Saturday, September 29. The selectors may announce the team a day earlier if NCA physios and trainers rule the duo out even before fitness tests,” the official said.

Selection committee chairman MSK Prasad and his colleague Devang Gandhi met at a Delhi hotel on Wednesday to discuss on the squad for the series. The selectors were initially supposed to announce the squad on Wednesday. However, the meeting was later cancelled.

“It was scheduled earlier but the five selectors’ itinerary was clashing as one (Sarandeep Singh) is in Dubai while two others (Jatin Paranjpe and Gagan Khoda) are watching Hazare Trophy at different venues. So it was decided that this will be an informal meeting where the selectors will take a stock of the situation,” the official added.

Meanwhile, the team-management reportedly want Yuzvendra Chahal if Ashwin fails to recover. Chahal is yet to make his Test debut.

India will host West Indies in October, taking on the visitors in two Tests, five One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals.

The series will start with the Tests just six days after the completion of the Asia Cup.

The seven-week series will start with Rajkot hosting the first Test on October 4. The full-fledged series will end with the third T20 in Chennai on November 11.