
Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have been opted out of the first-class friendlies match against Country Select XI scheduled in Durham. Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also to skip the three-day first-class warm-up game.
In the scarcity of Virat Kohli and Rahane, Rohit Sharma is up to direct the Indian team for the game that commences on Tuesday.
Along with Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal will be up for the opening partnership possibly, for the first Test at Nottingham and will be seen keenly as well as Mohammed Siraj, the one who might be chosen instead of Ishant Sharma in the playing Eleven.
Mohammed Shami has also been chosen to have rest who is the first team regular, in the game which is one of the nation’s unusual first-class fixtures since the last 10 years.
Rishabh Pant, who is a usual keeper for the squad along with senior reserve gloveman Wriddhiman Saha are presently in quarantine in London after been contacted with the COVID-19 virus. They are anticipated to be joining the squad before the intra-squad fixture that is programmed for the final week of this month at the Riverside.
The five-Test series is going to be an acid test for Cheteshwar Pujara and Rahane and will give a chance to Hanuma Vihari to make few runs to resist Rahane under pressure.