Axar Patel has reportedly been ruled out of the third and final ODI between India and Australia, set to be played on Wednesday in Rajkot, after the all-rounder failed to recover from injury he picked during the Asia Cup 2023.
Axar wasn’t included in the India squad for the first two games against Australia. He was however, included for the third and final ODI, which was subjected to his fitness. However, now it’s being reported that Axar could get fit in time for India’s warmup games ahead of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
According to a report in Cricbuzz, Axar is still recovering from a left quadriceps strain and undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.
The left-arm spinner had picked up the injury during India’s Super 4 clash against Bangladesh following which he was forced to miss the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. Washington Sundar was flown in as his replacement and played in the title clash which India won.
On the other hand, star India opener Shubman Gill and all-rounder Shardul Thakur have been reportedly rested for the upcoming third and final ODI against Australia, scheduled to be held in Rajkot on Wednesday.
Gill, who is the leading run-getter in the ongoing three-match ODI series with 178 runs from two matches, will now miss out a chance to topple Pakistan skipper Babar Azam in the ICC ODI ranking.
India have already won the three-match series with victories in the first two ODIs in Mohali and Indore.
Meanwhile, regular skipper Rohit Sharma and run-machine Virat Kohli, who were rested for the first two ODIs against Australia, will be making a comeback in the third and final ODI.
Also, fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who was also rested for the second ODI in Indore, will be returning to the Indian side for the final game on Wednesday.
According to a report by the Indian Express, both Gill and Thakur will not fly to Rajkot and will instead join the squad in Guwahati for the World Cup 2023 warm-up game against England on September 30.