“That team will go pretty well down in Australia as well” – Brad Hogg ignores KL Rahul and Axar Patel for IND vs BAN 1st Test
Former Australia cricketer Brad Hogg has ignored wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and all-rounder Axar Patel in his India playing XI for the opening Test against Bangladesh. The first of a two-match Test series will be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from September 19 onwards.
Apart from Rahul and Axar, Dhruv Jurel also missed out on his pick in the XI due to obvious reasons. Rishabh Pant is back in the fold after two years in Test cricket following his phase-wise comeback after recovery from injuries that he sustained in a car accident in 2022.
Rahul and Axar recently impressed in the 2024 Duleep Trophy match. Rahul returned with scores of 37 and 57 in his two outings for India A versus India B. Meanwhile, Axar scored 86 and 28 in his two innings and scalped three wickets for India D against India C.
Brad Hogg said on his YouTube channel (via YouTube Shorts):
“The XI that I am going or the first Test match against Bangladesh for India – Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma open the batting. Gill at three, Kohli at 4, and Jadeja coming at five just to keep that left-handed right-hand combination going. Sarfaraz Khan, Pant and then you’re into the bowlers, where you’ve got Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Siraj, and Bumrah.”
“That team will go pretty well down in Australia as well. So, they’ve got to start warming up for the Australian summer. India, so this will be a good start for them. No KL Rahul or Axar Patel in my playing XI,” he added.
KL Rahul and Axar Patel’s numbers in Test cricket
KL Rahul and Axar Patel have impressive numbers in Test cricket.
Rahul has amassed 2863 runs in 50 Tests with the help of eight centuries and 14 fifties. The 32-year-old Karnataka batter has played just one Test for India in 2024, where he sustained a quadriceps injury against England in the Hyderabad Test earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Axar has bagged 55 wickets in just 14 Tests, comprising five five-wicket hauls. With the bat, he has amassed 646 runs in 14 Tests, hitting four half-centuries. The 30-year-old scored 133 runs and bagged five wickets in two Tests against England this year.
India’s squad for the 1st Test of the Bangladesh Test series: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, and Yash Dayal.