Tomorrow’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 begins at Nagpur’s Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. India and Australia have strong squads for the four-match Test series. Shreyas Iyer and Josh Hazlewood will miss the first Test.
Iyer has been injured since 2023. Back pain kept him out of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. He missed the first Test against Australia with a same ailment. According to ESPNCricinfo, NCA officials advised Iyer to stay in rehab longer.
Hazlewood will miss the first Test owing to an Achilles issue. He may miss the second encounter, according to reports.
Recent Test matches were won by Hazlewood and Iyer. This listicle will predict the biggest miss in the inaugural Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2023 Test.
Shreyas Iyer’s replacement in Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s first Test?
Shreyas Iyer made his Test debut against New Zealand at Green Park in November 2021. He scored 624 runs in 12 innings for India in seven Tests at 56.73. Iyer scored a century and five half-centuries in 12 innings.
His figures show that he has significantly improved the Indian middle order. Seven Tests gave Iyer valuable red-ball cricket expertise.
Since Shreyas Iyer is out of the first Test, India will need a new number five. Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari, both veteran cricketers, were not selected. Rishabh Pant is out too.
Team management must choose a number five batter among Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat, or Ishan Kishan. If not, Shubman Gill or KL Rahul may be demoted. None of the five batters have Test cricket number five experience.
Yadav, Bharat, and Kishan have never played for India, while Gill and Rahul have never batted at number five. Shreyas Iyer’s withdrawal has created a huge vacuum in India’s top five.
Josh Hazlewood’s replacement in Border-Gavaskar Trophy’s first Test?
Australian Josh Hazlewood has 59 Tests. He took nine wickets in four Indian games.
Captain Pat Cummins will need fast-bowling partners without Hazlewood. Mitchell Starc will miss the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test.
Australia can play an extra spinner in Nagpur because the conditions may help spinners.
Team spinner Nathan Lyon will lead. He can spin with Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson. Lance Morris and Scott Boland can pace Australia. Both have performed well in red-ball contests, but neither has played a Test in India.
Australia may not miss Josh Hazlewood if the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium ground helps spin bowlers immediately. Thus, the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test will miss Shreyas Iyer more.
