New Delhi: After a humiliating 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand in the recently concluded three-match Test series at home, Rohit Sharma-led India is gearing up for the much-awaited Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia Down Under. India will lock horns with Australia in a five-match Test series and will have to win at least 4 Tests to be guaranteed a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final.
Ahead of the Test series, BCCI has reportedly decided to send KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel to Australia to get some much-needed match practice. Both players will join the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India A squad before the start of their second unofficial Test match against Australia A which gets underway in Melbourne on Thursday.
India A squad is already in Australia for two unofficial Test matches against Australia A. The squad consists of some of the players who have also been selected as part of the senior India squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. India A lost the first unofficial Test by 7 wickets in Mackay. Rahul and Jurel will join the rest of the squad for the 2nd unofficial Test.
As per a report in the Indian Express, the decision to send Rahul and Jurel to Australia was taken by the Indian team management and the Ajit Agarkar-led senior selection panel as both batters have not had much game time of late. Rahul featured in the 1st Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru where he had dismal outings in both innings before being dropped.
Jurel failed to make the cut in the playing Test for the entire series against New Zealand and only came on as a substitute for Rishabh Pant behind the wickets during the 2nd Test in Pune.
