IND vs SA Injury Updates: Abhimanyu Easwara's Replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad was Ruled out of the Squad due to injury

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been ruled out of the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa following an injury that he sustained in the second T20 international of a 5-match series against the same opposition. Scan results and a consultation with an expert made it necessary for the Indian Cricket Board to send him to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. 

Easwaran to replace Gaikwad

This unfortunate development paved the way for Abhimanyu Easwaran, who received the much-awaited call-up as Gaikwad's replacement. The 28-year-old Kerala opener has been a prolific run-scorer in the First-Class arena, amassing 6567 runs at an impressive average of 47.24. 

Abhimanyu Easwaran earned a taste of national reckoning in early 2021. He found himself named among five standby players for India's Test squad against England on home soil, and this promising inclusion was repeated just months later when he became one of four standby players for the World Test Championship Final and India's subsequent away series in England. Although not yet breaking into the starting XI, these selections marked him as a player on the cusp of greater things.

While Easwaran's call-up is a positive development, he is unlikely to feature in any of the two games as Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal will open the innings for India.

The quest for Indian cricket's elusive Test series victory in South Africa starts on Boxing Day when Rohit Sharma & Co. take on the Proteas in the opening match at Centurion. Having fallen agonizingly short on the last two tours, the Indian camp will be brimming with determination to finally conquer the Rainbow Nation's fortress. Centurion's SuperSport Park will be the battleground for the first Test, followed by the second and final Test in Cape Town. After securing the ODI series win and sharing the spoils in the T20Is, India is riding a wave of confidence, eager to translate their limited-overs success into the longer format. Captain Rohit Sharma, leading India in his first Test series on South African soil, will be keen to etch his name in history.