Members of the Indian cricket contingent, including stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Ravi Shastri, have come back to the country on Thursday after their momentous Test series victory over Australia. Rahane, Shastri, star batsman Rohit Sharma, pacer Shardul Thakur, and opener Prithvi Shaw landed in Mumbai, while Brisbane Test hero Rishabh Pant arrived in Delhi early this morning.
T Natarajan, who was originally selected as a net bowler but became the first Indian cricketer to make his international debut across all three formats during a single tour, landed in Bengaluru and is on his way to his village in Tamil Nadu’s Salem.
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The players from Chennai, including the veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, rookie Washington Sundar, and bowling coach Bharat Arun are currently in Dubai and are expected to reach the country early morning on Friday.
Skipper Ajinkya Rahane received a grand reception at his home in Mumbai. ❤🤩 pic.twitter.com/2h3W0Khest
— Anish Singh (@The_anishsingh) January 21, 2021
On arrival in Mumbai, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravi Shastri, Rohit Sharma, Shardul Thakur, and Prithvi Shaw were felicitated by Mumbai Cricket Association officials, including President Vijay Patil and Apex Council members Ajinkya Naik, Amit Dani, and Umesh Khanvilka.
Rahane also cut a cake to celebrate the team’s win. An injury-ravaged India beat Australia by three wickets in the series-deciding fourth Test in Brisbane on Tuesday to clinch the rubber 2-1 and retain the Border Gavaskar Trophy.
ALSO READ: Ajinkya Rahane Credits Youngsters For India’s Series Win In Australia
India will not be locking horns with England for a four-match Test series at home. The first Test will begin on February 5, while the second match of the four-match series will start on February 13. The last two matches of the series will be played at the largest cricket stadium in the world — Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India’s squad for first two Tests against England: Virat Kohli (capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Axar Patel
