Ravindra Jadeja leaves team India midway and shifts his base during England Test series

Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has arrived at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) in Bengaluru to complete his recovery process from the Hamstring injury he suffered on day 4 of India’s 28-run loss against England in the 1st of a 5-match Test series in Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi stadium.

Ravindra Jadeja reported to the team management about slight discomfort in his hamstrings after he pulled up sore while completing a single before getting run out by a tremendous one-handed fielding effort from England skipper Ben Stokes.

While Jadeja was walking off from the middle towards the dressing room, the pain in his hamstring was evident through his body language. As soon as he reported the same to the management, he was sent for the first round of scans in Hyderabad and after the reports came through, they were sent to an institute in Mumbai which declared that Jadeja would be missing the 2nd Test in Vishakhapatnam which starts from 2nd February onwards.

The institute in Mumbai reported that Ravindra Jadeja has endured a Grade A hamstring injury, which is basically when the hamstring muscle endures a minor pull or strain. It could have been worse if Jadeja had suffered a Grade B or C hamstring injury but fortunately for him and the Indian team, the 35-year-old will only be out for the 2nd Test.

The Saurashtra-born all-rounder was not the only one that left Hyderabad with a loss as well as injury. Right-hand batter KL Rahul who slotted in at number 4 to fill up for Virat Kohli, also reported the team management about pain in his quadriceps before getting ruled for the 2nd Test.

The selection committee would immediately name 3 players – Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar, and Sarfaraz Khan as replacement players for Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul. While it is pretty clear that either Sundar or Kuldeep Yadav will play feature in the playing XI, the team management has an imperative task in hand to pick from either Rajat Patidar or Sarfaraz Khan for the number 4 spot.

“Mr. Ravindra Jadeja and Mr. KL Rahul have been ruled out of the second IDFC First Bank Test against England in Vizag, starting February 02, 2024. Jadeja sustained a hamstring injury during play on Day 4 of the first Test in Hyderabad while Rahul complained of a right quadriceps pain. The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring the progress of the duo.” – a BCCI press release read.

As Ravindra Jadeja Hits Road To Recovery, Onus On Indian Selectors To Choose Suitable Replacement

Ravindra Jadeja took to Instagram and uploaded a picture of NCA’s poster on his story to let everyone know that he has hit the road to recovery. While he grinds himself at the National Cricket Academy, the Rahul Dravid-led management along with captain Rohit Sharma will be sweating to choose Jadeja’s most suitable replacement.

The like-for-like will be Washington Sundar, an all-rounder who is well-versed with the bat as well as the ball. And if India are looking to add some wrist spin against England in the 2nd Test then Kuldeep Yadav becomes the first choice. In either case, the left-hander’s quality cannot be matched and it remains to be seen how India fights back after these setbacks.