IND vs ENG: Three India players who can replace Shreyas Iyer in India Playing 11 for third Test

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India’s middle-order batter, Shreyas Iyer hasn’t quite got his mojo going in the two Tests he played against England. The right-hander came under fire for his string of cheap scores and as if that weren’t enough, he had complained of stiff back and groin pain.

The 29-year-old told the medical staff he suffered this issue after playing out 30 balls in the recently-concluded Vizag Test. He stated that he felt some pain in his groin while playing forward defense. As a result, he is expected to hit the NCA for further tests.

With India likely to announce the squad for the last three Tests, Shreyas Iyer is indeed a doubtful starter for the upcoming Tests and is expected to be ruled out of the remainder of the Test series. The third Test is slated to be held in Rajkot on February 15, Thursday. Let’s take a glimpse at three India players who can replace the injured Iyer for the third Test.

KL Rahul: It is no secret that KL Rahul has been the vital cog in India’s middle-order, carving out a reputation for himself as the versatile batter. With Shreyas Iyer unlikely to turn up and with Virat Kohli being a doubtful starter, the Bengaluru-born can be slotted at No.4 to solve the middle-order conundrum.

He scored an impressive 86 in the first innings of the Test opener. The classy batter was ruled out of the second Test in Vizag after he had complained of a right quadriceps pain. The 31-year-old has been recovering quite well and there is a strong chance of him making the cut in the playing 11 for the third Test.

Sarfaraz Khan: The 26-year-old talented batter can also be looked at as a viable option to replace Shreyas Iyer at No.4 for the third Test in Rajkot. Sarfaraz Khan earned a call-up for the Vizag Test but was seen turning up as a substitute fielder after Shubman Gill picked up an injury to his right index finger.

Sarfaraz will be raring to make his debut for India against England. In fact, he was part of the India A squad that locked horns with the England Lions in 3 tour matches ahead of the start of the five-match Test series. The Mumbai-born recorded fifty-plus scores in all games - 96, 4, 55, and 161 across four innings.

Rajat Patidar: The Indore-born cricketer made his Test debut in the second Test against England in the coastal city of Andhra Pradesh. Coming in at No.5, the right-handed batter looked in decent touch with the bat in the first innings, where he scored 32 runs (3 fours) before he was bowled by Rehan Ahmed.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t a good outing for him in the second innings where he could score 9 runs before he fell prey to Rehan Ahmed’s delivery. He is one of the batters that the India think-tank should try him at No.4 to see if he can adapt to the situation of the match.