Cheteshwar Pujara to open innings with Shubman Gill in Rohit Sharma’s absence in Edgbaston Test: Reports

Rohit
tested
positive
for
the
deadly
pandemic
last
week
and
was
immediately
sent
into
isolation.
On
Wednesday
(June
29),
reports
claimed
that
the
Mumbaikar
is
set
to
miss
out
after
he
didn’t
appear
in
the
practice
session
in
Edgbaston.

Later,
India
coach
Rahul
Dravid
in
a
press
conference
stated
the
33-year-old
is
yet
to
get
ruled
out
of
the
match
but
will
have
to
return
negative
in
two
Covid-19
tests.

“Rohit
is
being
monitored
by
the
medical
team.
He
is
not
yet
ruled
out.
Obviously,
he
needs
to
get
the
negative
tests
before
being
available.
So,
he
will
have
a
test
tonight
and
one
maybe
tomorrow
morning
as
well
and
then
we
will
see,”
Dravid
said
in
a
virtual
press
meet
on
June
29.

Dravid
further
added
that
the
decision
to
include
Rohit
will
be
taken
by
the
medical
team
and
that
he
hasn’t
been
able
to
meet
the
skipper
since
he
has
been
in
insolation.

“It’s
up
to
the
medical
team
and
the
sports
science
team
to
decide.
I
haven’t
had
a
chance
to
see
him
since
he
is
in
quarantine
and
isolation.
We
will
keep
monitoring
the
situation,”
Dravid
said.

Meanwhile,
reports
in
the
media
on
Thursday
(June
30)
claim
that
senior
batter
Cheteshwar
Pujara
might
be
asked
to
open
the
innings
alongside
Shubman
Gill
in
Rohit’s
absence.
Pujara
–
who
bats
at
number
three
–
might
be
asked
by
the
team
management
to
take
up
the
responsibility
of
blunting
the
ball
and
face
England’s
quality
swing
bowling
attack.

Team
India
has,
however,
included
Mayank
Agarwal
–
who
was
put
on
standby
as
an
opener
ahead
of
the
series
and
the
Karnataka
cricketer
has
joined
the
Test
squad
in
England.
Shubman
Gill
is
the
only
recognised
opener
for
India
after
Rohit
tested
positive.

Speculations
were
rife
that
either
Pujara
or
Hanuma
Vihari
could
be
asked
to
open
the
innings
in
case
the
team
management
doesn’t
feel
including
Agarwal.