India vs Australia | Ravindra Jadeja declared fit for third Test in Melbourne

In a big relief for the Indian team management ahead of the third Test match in Melbourne, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been declared fit and is now available for selection. He has missed the previous games due to a shoulder injury along with another lead Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who failed to make the cut due to an abdominal strain.

"All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja complained of a left shoulder discomfort after prolonged bowling spells during the 2018 West Indies ODI series. He underwent a guided injection in Mumbai for this on 2nd November. This gave Mr Jadeja good relief of his symptoms and he played in the Ranji Trophy match for Saurashtra from 12 to 15 November in which he completed 64 overs without any issues. He was thereby declared fit by the BCCI and selected for the Test series against Australia," BCCI release stated. 

"In the lead up to the Perth Test match on 14th December, the management and the all-rounder were of the opinion that the intensity of his bowling in the nets could have been higher, to match the standards required for such an intensely fought series. For this reason, he was not considered for selection for the 2nd Test match. Mr. Jadeja’s left shoulder has continued to improve and he is now available for the 3rd Test match of the series in Melbourne," it added.

From the start of the Test series, the Indian contingent has been troubled by injuries. The first player to fall for an injury was Prithvi Shaw, who injured his ankle during the lone practice match. Though initially he was ruled out for only two matches ultimately he could not recover and was ruled out of the whole series. Now, Mayank Agarwal has been roped in for his replacement for the last two matches of the series.