Rahul hits ton as Kohli, Rahane miss warm-up game

Chester-le-Street (England) - Rahane is expected to be fit for first Test

India captain Virat Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane were rested from India's first-class warm-up game against Select County XI due to minor niggles.

KL Rahul scored a brilliant century (101 retired out, 150 balls, 11 fours, 1 six) and Ravindra Jadeja (75, 146 balls, 5 fours, 1 six) also impressed with the bat as the Indians made 306 for nine on the opening day of the three-day match.

The BCCI gave an update on Kohli and Rahane's conditions after both were rested along with Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin.

"Kohli felt some stiffness in his back on late Monday evening and he has been advised rest from the three-day first-class warm-up game by the BCCI Medical Team,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah said in a media statement.

"Vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has mild swelling around his left upper hamstring. This has been addressed by an injection. He is not available for the three-day first-class warm-up game."

But Rahane is expected to be fit for the first Test against England which will start on August 4.

"The BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him (Rahane), and he is expected to fully recover well in time for the first Test against England starting from 4th August at Nottingham," Shah said.

Since this is a first-class game, the option of just batting and not fielding is not there for the visitors.

India's red ball team suffered another injury scare as pacer Avesh Khan, turning up for ECB's Select County XI, suffered a thumb injury, which might result in dislocation.

India’s players are wearing black armbands in the game to mourn the death of Yashpal Sharma. The former middle order batsman, one of the key players in the 1983 World Cup-winning team, died on July 13 due to a cardiac arrest.

Brief scores: Indians 306 for nine in 90 overs (KL Rahul 101, Ravindra Jadeja 75, Mayank Agarwal 28, Hanuma Vihari 24, Cheteshwar Pujara 21, Shardul Thakur 20, Rohit Sharma 9; Craig Miles 3/42, Lyndon James 2/32, Liam Patterson-White 2/79, Jack Carson 1/71)