Team India batters Virat Kohli and KL Rahul are injury concerns ahead of the first India vs Australia 2024 Test at Perth from November 22.
Team India had major injury concerns ahead of next week’s first India vs Australia 2024 Test for the Border Gavaskar Trophy at Perth. In a practice match with members of the touring India ‘A’ team, two top batters of Indian Test side – Virat Kohli and KL Rahul got injured ahead of the first clash against the Aussies at Perth.
According to a report in Sydney Morning Herald, Kohli has undergone scans for an unspecified injury. However, that did not prevent Kohli from playing in the match simulation and he made 15 before getting caught off Mukesh Kumar behind the wicket.
“There’re no concerns as of now with Virat Kohli,” the BCCI source informed PTI news agency.
There was more injury concerns on Friday as KL Rahul took a painful blow on the right elbow and had to go off the field and get scans during India’s match simulation at the WACA in Perth. Rahul had made 29 before pacer Prasidh Krishna pinged on his elbow with a climbing delivery, and the batter had to walk off after consulting with team physio.
The 32-year-old is in line to open the innings if skipper Rohit Sharma does not play in the first Test of the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, owing to the birth of his second child.
“About Rahul…it’s just happened so will take some time to assess (his elbow),” BCCI sources added.
KL Rahul’s not looking very comfortable after being struck on his right elbow/forearm off a rising delivery. Tried to resume batting by shaking it off but clearly couldn’t. And now leaving with the physio #AusvInd pic.twitter.com/JFivRNx7af
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) November 15, 2024
Rahul is looking for a Test comeback as he was not picked in the starting XI after the Bengaluru match against New Zealand last month. The former Lucknow Super Giants captain’s last Test hundred was against South Africa at Centurion in December 2023 and since then made just two fifties in nine innings.
Meanwhile, Kohli is struggling for big runs of late and his last Test century was against the West Indies at Port of Spain in July 2023. Since then, the 36-year-old has made just two fifties in 14 Test innings.
Across the last 60 innings, Kohli has averaged a modest 31.68 with just two hundreds. His average in 2024 is a meagre 22.72 from six Tests. However, Kohli has excelled in Australian conditions in the past, averaging over 54 across four visits to Australia starting from 2012-13.
Former India coach and captain Ravi Shastri had backed Kohli to regain his touch against Australia. “Well, the king is back in his territory,” Shastri said on the ICC Review show.
“That’s all I will tell (the doubters). When you’ve earned that title after your exploits in Australia, it will be on your (opponent’s) mind when you go out to bat,” he added.