The fitness report of India's all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru is set to be made available to the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) on February 1. This report will play a crucial role in determining whether Jadeja will be ready for the start of the four-match Test series against Australia, which is set to begin on February 9.
Jadeja is currently on the comeback trail after undergoing knee surgery in September last year, which forced him to miss the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. He is currently playing for Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy and will report back to the NCA for an assessment at the end of the match.
The selectors and team management will subsequently take a call on his availability before India starts a pre-series camp in Nagpur on February 2. The four-match Test series will be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, New Delhi, Dharamshala and Ahmedabad.
In other news, opener Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the three-match T20I series against New Zealand due to wrist pain. Gaikwad has checked into the NCA for a prognosis of his injury and subsequent rehabilitation. This is the second time Gaikwad has had trouble with his wrist, missing last year's T20I series against Sri Lanka with an injury to his right wrist.
The national team's decision-makers and brains trust are said to be upset over Gaikwad's frequent absences due to illness or injuries. However, they will not seek a replacement for this series, increasing the possibility of the returning Prithvi Shaw's participation in the series as an opener. The first match of the series will be held in Ranchi on Friday.