HYDERABAD: Virat Kohli has withdrawn from the first two Tests of the five-match series citing personal reasons. Last month, Kohli had to fly out to India from South Africa on short notice. Earlier this month, the batter, who had finished as top-scorer in the two-match series against South Africa, had opted out of the first T20I against Afghanistan. One can only hope that all is well with the Kohli family.
“Virat Kohli has requested the BCCI to be withdrawn from the first two Tests series against England, citing personal reasons,” a press release from the body said. “Virat has spoken to captain Rohit Sharma, the team management and the selectors and has emphasized that while representing the country has always been his top priority, certain personal situations demand his presence and undivided attention. The BCCI requests the media and fans to respect Virat Kohli’s privacy during this time and refrain from speculating on the nature of his personal reasons. The Men’s Selection Committee will name a replacement soon.”
What Kohli’s withdrawal has meant is it has opened up a slot for a batter already part of the team. KS Bharat may now play as a specialist wicket-keeper with KL Rahul slotting in seamlessly. Shreyas Iyer, one of the best batters of spin in this set-up, could come in at No. 5 with Ravindra Jadeja at No. 6. The others, like the rest of the XI, picks themselves so in all likelihood, the replacement player may be warming the bench anyway unless the management have a surprise in store.
While there wasn’t a cloud in the sky in these parts on Monday, it’s still winter. Night time temperatures are expected to dip below the 20 mark on all five days of the Test beginning on Thursday. However, it has been largely dry for the last month so expect it to be a typical sub-continental surface. The team had optional nets on Monday.
Visa problems for Bashir
The tall off-spinner Shoaib Bashir has not landed with the rest of the England team as he has faced some visa problems. But coach Brendon McCullum expected Bashir to land in the city sooner rather than later.
It remains to be seen if Dan Lawrence, Harry Brook’s replacement, will be drafted into the XI straightaway. With Lawrence and Bashir being doubts, the visitors may also be in a similar situation as the hosts in that they may well look to play with a specialist keeper in the line-up. Ben Foakes, who equipped himself well in their last tour, is now the automatic choice to take the gloves with Jonny Bairstow playing purely as a batter.
There are also some concerns around Ben Stokes. The skipper has yet to play after undergoing knee surgery following the World Cup. If he doesn’t feature for the first game, England will have to dip into their depth even before a ball is bowled and it will be something they will be looking to avoid.
