After Ravindra Jadeja suffered a hamstring injury during the IND vs ENG 1st Test, speculation regarding the star all-rounder’s availability for the second Test in Vizag arose. Now, the BCCI has announced that Jadeja is officially ruled out of the second Test. This means that it is a big hit for India’s chances of winning the series after going 0-1 in Hyderabad.
Jadeja will be rueful of the fact that he won’t be able to build on his form with the bat. But his replacement, Saurabh Kumar, will be ecstatic to get his maiden call-up. But who is this mysterious player who has been called up as a replacement for one of the best all-rounders in the world? Let’s find out.
Who is Saurabh Kumar?
Similar to Ravindra Jadeja, Saurabh Kumar is a spin-bowling all-rounder. The cricketer who represents Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket is a left-handed batter like Jadeja and bowls left-arm orthodox spin like him.
Although not quite on the level of Jadeja, Saurabh is a handy batter who averages a touch over 27 with the bat. With the ball, he has a proven record and has taken 290 first-class wickets in 68 matches.
In the recently concluded India A vs England Lions 2nd Test, Saurabh Kumar starred with both bat and bowl. He claimed six wickets, scored 77 runs in the match, and gave the selectors a glimpse of his capabilities.
IND vs ENG 2nd Test: Squad (Updated)
Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, Sourabh Kumar.
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