Suryakumar Yadav, the world’s No.1 T20I batter, is expected to make his Test debut for India against Australia in Nagpur on February 9, filling in for Shreyas Iyer, who is out due to a back injury. Iyer, 28, made his Test debut in November 2021 against New Zealand, but sustained his injury prior to the start of the ODI series against New Zealand last month and is yet to fully recover, resulting in his absence from the first Border-Gavaskar Test match against the top-ranked Test team.
According to The Indian Express, Shreyas Iyer is expected to recover in time for the second Test, starting on February 17 in Delhi. Although the right-handed batter was instructed to go to the National Cricket Academy for rehabilitation and received injections, he still experiences pain in his lower back and has been advised to rest for two weeks.
According to a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Shreyas Iyer’s injury has not improved as hoped and he will need at least two weeks to return to the game. He will not participate in the first Test and his participation in the second Test will depend on his fitness report. The source shared this information with the newspaper.
The decision on whether to announce a replacement for Shreyas Iyer or proceed with the current roster of players is yet to be determined.
Shreyas Iyer’s absence provides an opportunity for Suryakumar Yadav to make his Test debut for India against the Australian team led by Pat Cummins. Surya, 32, has played in 20 ODIs and 47 T20Is for the Indian team but has yet to play a Test match. His selection for the Test squad for the series against Australia marked the first time in his career that he was called up for the format.