India’s preparations for the final of the ICC World Test Championship have been severely impacted as Shreyas Iyer has been ruled out of the ongoing fourth Test match against Australia on Monday. Iyer, who had a successful season in the longest format in the previous year, was unable to participate in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy due to a back injury. During the first innings of the final Test of the bilateral series at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Iyer did not come out to bat for the Indian team.
On Sunday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed that Iyer will take no further part in the series decider between India and Australia at Ahmedabad. The apex cricket board has stated that a specialist opinion will be sought for the injured Indian batter. “Shreyas Iyer complained of pain in his lower back following the third day’s play. He has gone for scans and the BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him,” the BCCI mentioned in a previous medical update.
In-form all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and wicketkeeper KS Bharat were promoted ahead of Iyer in India’s batting line-up on Day 3 of the 4th Test match at Ahmedabad. In the absence of middle-order batter Iyer, Rohit Sharma’s India managed to post a massive 1st innings total on Day 4. Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli (180) and opener Shubman Gill (128) slammed centuries to help India post 571 in the 1st innings at the world’s largest cricket stadium.
Iyer returned to the fold for the Delhi Test after the middle-order batter missed the series opener due to a back issue. Earlier, the star batter also was replaced by Rajat Patidar for the One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand. Hosts India have already retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and Rohit’s men are also on the cusp of securing their berth for the ICC World Test Championship final.
