India opt to bat in tour game
Team India have opted to bat in the three-day tour game against County Select XI at the Durham Cricket Ground on Tuesday. Rohit Sharma will be leading the team in Virat Kohli's absence while KL Rahul will be donning the gloves.
The game, which, marks the return of the Indian Test side after a three-week-long break since the World Test Championship defeat against New Zealand, has been organised to help India gear up for the impending five-Test series against England which begins from August 4 onwards at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.
Rahul will keep wickets in the absence of regular wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha, who are in isolation. Pant had tested positive for Covid-19 while Saha was in contact with training assistant Dayanand Garani, who also had tested positive for the virus.
India are playing both left-arm spinners -- Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel -- while R Ashwin is not playing.
Mayank Agarwal will open the batting with Rohit Sharma.
Playing XI : Rohit Sharma (Capt), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Md Siraj
County Select XI squad: Zak Chappell, Robert Yates, James Bracey (wicketkeeper), Haseeb Hameed, Rehan Ahmed, James Rew, Will Rhodes (captain), Jake Libby, Lyndon James, Craig Miles, Liam Patterson-White, Ethan Bamber, Jack Carson.
(with IANS inputs)
