Hardik Pandya picks up shoulder niggle; ruled out of 2nd Test against Australia

India all-rounder Hardik Pandya won’t be available for selection for the second Test against Australia, starting on March 4. Pandya has picked up a shoulder niggle after he sustained a blow during training session before the third Test against England. He was released from the squad for recovery. Last month, he was assigned to lead a 15-member India A squad for practice match against Australia. He was also a part of India A squad, led by Abhinav Mukund, for the three-day practice match against Bangladesh. The all-rounder has played seven ODIs and 19 T20Is.

When quizzed about the team selection, Indian skipper Virat Kohli told Deccan Cronicle, “Hardik Pandya is not available for selection. He has a niggle in his shoulder. He is not fit to be available for selection. Rest of them are.” Kohli has never repeated the same team in Tests. While Kohli did not reveal whether he will retain it against Australia for the second Test in Bengaluru, he said that India will have two or three combinations to choose from. “I won’t let it out right now. But we do have 2 or 3 combinations that we are looking at. Not one set pattern. So, we will see accordingly what fits best,” Kohli concluded.

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Australia took a 1-0 lead in the four-match series after thrashing the hosts by 333 runs in the first Test in Pune. The next Test will be held in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.