Team India’s regular limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma leads India in the three-day first-class warm-up fixture against County Select XI as Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were rested. Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin were also rested.
Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin joined the squad after bowling a whopping 58 overs and taking seven wickets in a County game for Surrey last week. Axar Patel and Shardul Thakur were also included in the squad.
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Indian team for the practice game: Rohit Sharma(C), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, KL Rahul (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Mayank Agarwal, who is likely to open with Rohit Sharma in the first Test at Nottingham will be watched keenly along with Mohammed Siraj, who could be preferred over Ishant Sharma in the playing XI.
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Regular wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and glovesman Wriddhiman Saha did not travel with the team to Durham and are isolated in London. Pant had tested Wriddhiman Saha have not travelled to Durham with the rest of the squad. While Pant is recovering after he tested positive for COVID-19 on July 8, Saha is in isolation along with reserve opener Abhimanyu Easwaran and bowling coach Bharat Arun. They are expected to join the team before the intra-squad game scheduled at the Riverside ground during the last week of this month, PTI reported.
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Rohit won the toss and opted to bat. He (9), fellow opener Mayank Agarwal (28) and Cheteshwar Pujara (21) fell early as India were 80/3 at Lunch with KL Rahul and Hanuma Vihari at the crease.