Major Injury Worries for Virat Kohli and KL Rahul Before First Test Against Australia, Reports Suggest
With form issues hounding him, former Indian captain Virat Kohli arrived at the Optus Stadium for a practice game prior to the first Test against Australia on Friday. On a day when a scan the previous day saw him through, he was able to score 15 runs in the first innings of the simulation match he played at Perth’s WACA Ground. According to The Times of India, Kohli batted without visible discomfort on Thursday even after the medical checkup. The report, however, didn’t specify what led to injury concerns.
A source said, “Virat Kohli is absolutely fine. He played in the match simulation without any discomfort and also practiced in the nets after his dismissal. No issues there.”
KL Rahul, who is likely to open in the Perth Test in Rohit Sharma’s absence, got a blow during the simulation match and could not bat further. Reports, however said “there are no major concerns” about his injury.
After being dismissed, Kohli continued taking more throwdowns on the sidelines and later returned to bat before finishing with an unbeaten 30 before stepping off the field.
The Indian batsmen were the toughest challenge during the practice session, with Krishna Prasidh and Nitish Kumar Reddy proving a challenge, particularly to Kohli and Rishabh Pant. Kohli finished unbeaten on 30, while Pant was bowled twice during the session.
The much-awaited Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia sets off in Perth on November 22. The second Test will be played with day-night conditions and under lights at the Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10, while the third Test is scheduled at The Gabba in Brisbane from December 14 to 18.
The fourth Test will be the traditional Boxing Day match from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne Cricket Ground, while the last Test scheduled will be on January 3 to 7 at Sydney Cricket Ground, which promises to be an exciting end to the series.
