Rajat Patidar missed the 5th Test against England© BCCI/Sportzpics
The Indian cricket team announced one change in the squad for the 5th Test against England in Dharamsala, with Devdutt Padikkal becoming the 314th player to represent the team in the longest format of the game. Padikkal replaced Rajat Patidar in the team, with skipper Rohit Sharma revealing at the time of the toss that the Royal Challengers Bangalore man injured himself while training for the final match of the series.
Though Patidar's performance in the series so far has not been the best, captain Rohit had backed the batsman during the press conference on the eve of the Dharamsala Test. However, Rohit himself revealed that Padikkal will replace Patidar in the playing XI.
“We would also have batted first. We have done very well so far in this series and have a chance to finish on a high level. There should be better bounce on this pitch than in the previous matches in this series .Good pitch to bat on and I don't think it will deteriorate that much. Ash is a true supporter of Indian cricket. Such a proud moment for him, his nation and the family. We will root for him to keep the magic to do,” Rohit said on Thursday. morning.
Rohit Sharma confirms that Rajat Patidar got injured last night, so Devdutt Padikkal will make his debut. pic.twitter.com/pLUu0NPIDJ
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 7, 2024
The Patidar-Padikkal switch was not the only change in the team, with Jasprit Bumrah returning to the team in place of Akash Deep.
“Bumrah is back, Akash Deep is missing. Devdutt Padikkal is making his debut as Patidar got injured last night,” Rohit concluded.
Providing an update on Patidar's status, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said: “Rajat Patidar was hit on his left ankle during Team India's practice session on March 6, 2024. He retired on the morning of the match sore and was not available for selection for the 5th Test.”
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