KL Rahul shares massive injury update ahead of India vs Australia 1st Test - Watch

KL Rahul gives injury update ahead of India vs Australia 1st Test. (Photo: PTI)

With star young batter Shubman Gill set to miss the first Test against Australia in Perth, KL Rahul's return to practice came as a huge boost for India on Sunday (November 17). Rahul shrugged off any injury concerns as he returned to training during the team's session at the WACA in Perth. On Friday, Rahul left the field early after being struck on the elbow while facing Prasidh Krishna. The blow was heavy and Rahul did not return to the field later that day as several India batters were taking turns at the crease.

On Sunday morning, Rahul had a serious training session which lasted nearly three hours before receiving the green signal from the Indian cricket team physio. There were no signs of discomfort for Rahul when he opened the innings with young gun Yashasvi Jaiswal. It is clear that he will open the innings in the Perth Test in place for Rohit Sharma who's missing the game due to personal reasons.

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"Feeling good and batted today, getting ready for the first game. Happy that I could come here early, get some time, and get used to the conditions. I’ve got a lot of time preparing for the series and I’m excited and looking forward to it," Rahul shared.

According to the team's physiotherapists, their focus was on addressing the pain and boosting his confidence as he returned to practice. Reports indicated that Rahul appeared to be in good form with the bat, particularly handling the shorter deliveries, which are expected to be a common challenge in Australian conditions.

The series against Australia is crucial for India to grab a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle, they have to win four and draw one of the remaining five Tests which is a huge task for them.

Meanwhile, the Indian team management has decided to keep top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal in Australian as a batting back-up. Devdutt was part of the India A squad that played two four-day matches against their Australia counterparts recently. The left-hander, who was recently named in Karnataka’s squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, had lukewarm outings during the ‘A’ tour, making 36, 88, 26, 1.