Devdutt Padikkal to stay back in Australia as Rohit, Shubman in doubt for first Test: Report

New Delhi: Devdutt Padikkal will stay back in Australia and is not part of the India A squad which is set to return home on Monday. The development comes after captain Rohit Sharma and opener Shubman Gill are most likely ruled out of the Test series opener in Perth, starting on Friday. As per the Cricbuzz report, the Indian team management, in consultation with the national selectors, has decided to retain the Karnataka batter as a backup for the senior team. Padikkal, who recently recorded scores of 36, 88, 26 and 1 in unofficial Tests against Australia A, has been identified as a batting backup. While these performances alone might not typically warrant a call-up to the senior national team, the management values his experience and familiarity with Australian conditions. Padikkal, who played his lone Test against England earlier this year and has featured in T20Is, is seen as a reliable option. Gill has been ruled out of the series opener due to a fractured thumb, while captain Rohit, who remained in India for the birth of his second child, is unlikely to be available for the match. Additionally, KL Rahul is nursing an elbow injury, though he managed to bat during a three-day match simulation at the WACA on Sunday. Rohit’s travel plans remain uncertain, and with his wife recently giving birth, his departure to Australia has yet to be scheduled. Consequently, his participation in the first Test appears doubtful. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has no immediate plans to send Mohammed Shami to Australia. Shami recently returned to competitive cricket after a year-long absence, playing in a Ranji Trophy match between Bengal and Madhya Pradesh in Indore. However, the team management prefers that he gain more match practice in domestic cricket before a potential recall. It is likely that Shami will represent Bengal in the upcoming Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament, set to begin this week. –IANS