India’s Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has been short of runs lately and the same has earned him criticism from different parts. In the recently concluded Test series against England, the veteran batter accumulated just 109 runs in seven games with his average being just over 15. In fact, scoring consistently has been a concern for Rahane for a while. Hence, many fans and experts believe the right-handed batsman should make way for someone else.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell is also of the same opinion. In fact, Chappell also named three potential candidates who can take Rahane’s number five position in Test matches. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, and all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya have received backing from the Australian legend. With these three players contributing in multiple departments, Chappell believes their presence in the top five can provide the team more balance.

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the rumour-mongers and the various speculations regarding the Indian team denying to play against England in Manchester deliberately. Notable, the fifth and final Test of the series at Old Trafford was cancelled after a Covid-19 scare in the visitors’ camp, leaving both BCCI and ECB to come upon a mutual decision of cancelling the encounter.

At the time of suspension, India led the series 2-1, having won the encounters at Lord’s and The Oval and losing at Headingley, while the series-opener in Nottingham ended in a rain-enforced draw. Things went smooth until the fourth fixture, when first India’s head coach Ravi Shastri tested Covid-19 positive, followed by Bharat Arun and R Sridhar, India’s bowling and fielding coach, respectively. Once assistant physio Yogesh Parmar tested positive on the eve of the final Test, the series was surrounded by clouds of uncertainty.

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