No Mohammed Shami for South Africa Tests; Deepak Chahar out of ODIs

Mumbai, December 16

India will not have the services of pacer Mohammed Shami in their quest to register a maiden Test series win in South Africa as the senior pacer was today ruled out of the two-match series after the medical team did not clear him.

Shami, who has been recuperating from an ankle niggle post his wonder run in the recent ODI World Cup, was earlier included in India’s Test squad but his availability was subject to him getting clearance from the BCCI’s medical team.

The BCCI did not name any replacement for Shami. The first Test between India and South Africa will start in Centurion from December 26.

Before the opening Test, the Indian Test team members will play a three-day intra-squad match from December 20. Shami could make a return during the Test series at home against England, starting from January 25 in Hyderabad.

Chahar to miss ODI series

All-rounder Deepak Chahar was also withdrawn from the ODI squad after he expressed his unavailability to travel to South Africa because of a family emergency.

“Chahar has informed the BCCI that he will not be available for the upcoming ODI series due to a family medical emergency. The men’s selection committee has named (pacer) Akash Deep as his replacement,” a BCCI statement read.

The BCCI also said that after the conclusion of the first ODI in Johannesburg on Sunday, Shreyas Iyer will join the Test squad to prepare for the two-match series.

The board also said head coach Rahul Dravid and other regular support staff will not oversee the three-match ODI series as they will be monitoring the intra-squad game ahead of the Test series, underlining the significance the management is giving to a Test series win in the Rainbow nation.

In the absence of the regulars, the ODI team, which is to be led by wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul, will be handled by India ‘A’ coaching staff comprising batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Rajib Datta and fielding coach Ajay Ratra. — PTI

India eye ODI reboot against South Africa

Johannesburg: With a clutch of future stars lining up to make their presence felt, India’s journey into their ODI future will hit its first stop during the opening match against South Africa at the hulking Wanderers here tomorrow. Scepticism may be in the air about the relevance of an ODI series with a T20 World Cup in sight, but for India, and to a good extent for the Proteas as well, this face-off signifies the arrival of young blood. KL Rahul, who will lead India in this three-match series, has stood-in as India skipper in the past, but a successful outcome here could potentially land him the ODI captaincy for a longer duration. While the likes of Rahul, Ruturaj Gaikwad, if he has recovered from the illness, and a few others will be eager to become part India’s white-ball fold.