Axar replaces suspended Jadeja for third Test

Axar Patel will join the Indian team as replacement for Ravindra Jadeja for the third Test against Sri Lanka starting in Pallekele on Saturday (August 12), the Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed on Wednesday.

Patel, 23, played for India A in the final of the triangular series against South Africa A in Pretoria on Tuesday, and will join the Test squad late on Thursday, with Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm chinaman bowler, set to take Jadeja’s place in the playing XI.

Jadeja was suspended for one Test after a Code of Conduct breach during the second Test win at the SSC ground last week. The allrounder, who therefore can’t be a part of the squad, has since returned home, and will fly back to Sri Lanka if he is picked for the limited-overs internationals that succeed the Test series.

Patel has played 30 One-Day Internationals and seven Twenty20 Internationals, and has travelled with the Indian Test squad previously, including on the tour of Australia in 2014-15 when he was called up as replacement for Jadeja, who returned home after the second Test with a shoulder injury.

On Tuesday, Patel took 1 for 47 in his 10 overs as India A defeated South Africa A by seven wickets to lift the title. He had a good tournament overall, picking up seven wickets in four matches at an average of 20, but will most likely have to bide his time for his Test debut unless India play all three specialist spinners.

Kuldeep, who sparkled on his Test debut against Australia in Dharamsala in March, is certain to line up alongside R Ashwin as India look to complete a 3-0 series sweep in Sri Lanka for the first time ever.

Squad for third Test: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-capt), Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.