The Indian cricket team endured some anxious moments before medical tests cleared KL Rahul who had fallen ill following his innings in the two-day match against Sri Lanka Board President’s XI in Colombo.
The right-hander didn’t travel with the team on Sunday as he had to stay back in the Lankan capital to undergo tests due to high fever. He was expected to join the squad either on Sunday night or early Monday morning.
The all-clear signal must have come as a huge relief for both the Indian team and the batsman who is making his return to international cricket after a lengthy lay-off following a surgery to his injured left shoulder. The injury surfaced during the course of his half-century against Australia in Pune in the first Test when he attempted a lofted shot but carried on to play the entire series, where he reeled off six fifties in seven innings, despite restricted stroke-play.
The right-hander showed few signs of rustiness on his return to competitive cricket in the two-day warm-up match in Colombo where he produced a fluent half-century but the illness was symptomatic of his injury and illness marred short but promising career. Only on Saturday after the practice match, Rahul had hoped for an injury-free career going forward.
While the tests have cleared the Karnataka batsman, it remains to be seen if he recovers completely and regains enough strength in time for the first Test beginning here on Wednesday.
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