Fit-again Rahul to open in Perth Test; Bumrah to lead

'After being hit on his elbow on Day 1 of the match simulation, KL Rahul has recovered and is raring to go.'

K L Rahul eases concerns surrounding his fitness ahead of the first Test against Australia, starting in Perth, by batting comfortably in the nets on Sunday.

Rahul had left the field for medical attention on Friday after sustaining a blow on his elbow by pacer Prasidh Krishna while batting in an intra-squad practice match at the WACA ground.

"I got a bad hit on Day 1 of the game," he said in a video posted by BCCI on X.

The 32-year-old looked pain-free as he batted without any major discomfort and participated in all the drills during the three-hour nets session.

"After being hit on his elbow on Day 1 of the match simulation, KL Rahul has recovered and is raring to go," BCCI captioned the video on X.

Rahul is set to open in the first Test in Perth with captain Rohit Sharma ruled out of the match. He will join the team only in Adelaide for the second Test, which starts on December 6, after spending time with his new-born baby, reported PTI.

Kamlesh Jain, the Indian team's physiotherapist declared Rahul fit for the series opener, starting in Perth from Friday.

"The key for us is to make sure that there is no fracture or bony lesions in there. 48 hours since the impact and he has responded well to treatment and he is ready to go."

Yogesh Parmar, the support physio, said Rahul is absolutely fine as was confirmed by the scans.

"I took him for X-ray and scan and based upon the report I was more confident that he should be fine. It was a matter of controlling the pain and giving him some confidence. From a medical point of view, he is absolutely fine," he said.

Rahul, who is expected to open the innings in Perth in the absence of captain Rohit Sharma, stated that coming to Australia early has helped him acclimatise to the conditions. He has struggled for runs, failing in both innings for India A in their practice match against Australia at MCG after he had made just 0 and 12 in the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand last month.

"I am feeling good, I batted today and getting ready for the first Test. I was happy that I could come here early and get some time to get used to the conditions. I have got a lot of time to prepare for the series, I am excited and looking forward to it.

It will be a big relief for the Indian team management as they are already grappling with the possible absence of injured Shubman Gill, who fractured his left thumb while attempting to take a catch in the slips during India's practice match.

The Indian bowlers led by vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah too put in some hard yards in the nets.

The Indian team, meanwhile, finished the block of training at the WACA ground and the visitors will now move to the Optus Stadium for match drills from Tuesday, after a scheduled rest day on Monday.

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