India’s build-up to the decisive fifth Test against Australia suffered a setback as pacer Akash Deep was ruled out of the match with a stiff back. The match, starting Friday in Sydney, is crucial for India, who are trailing 1-2 in the series and need to win to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Akash Deep, the 28-year-old right arm pacer who played the initial two tests against Australia in Brisbane and Melbourne, grabbed five wickets. Even though he averaged above 50, the numbers aren’t close to reality as far as his performance on Australian pitches is concerned. He constantly troubled the Australian batsmen; the opportunities only went unconverted as the Indian fielders dropped the catches. People know how he can exploit bounce on fast tracks, and India can ill afford to lose him.
Over-Exertion Caused Injury?
Akash Deep bowled 87.5 overs in just two Tests, hence a likely overload that caused the back problem. Fast bowlers often suffer from knee and ankle injuries due to the hard Australian surfaces and often end up suffering from back problems as well. Coach Gautam Gambhir of India was quoted as saying that Akash Deep is out due to injury, while a pre-match press conference pointed to finalizing the playing XI post assessing the pitch conditions.
Who Will Substitute Akash Deep?
India could bring either Harshit Rana or Prasidh Krishna into the playing XI with Akash Deep going out. Both these bowlers have shown a lot of promise and could infuse new life into the team.
As the final Test approaches, the Indian team will look to regroup and put their best foot forward. The stakes are high, and the pressure to perform in Sydney is immense. With Akash Deep sidelined, The series will be leveled and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy retained if India can win in Sydney. The match is a do-or-die situation for the team, which needs to come together to overcome the deficit.
IND vs AUS: Team Combination
Australia Playing XI: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (w), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
India Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Sarfaraz Khan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Shubman Gill, Devdutt Padikkal, Tanush Kotian, Dhruv Jurel, Harshit Rana.
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