Kohli brushes off injury fears as back 'niggles'

SYDNEY: India reversed an earlier decision about the availability of Ravichandran Ashwin for the fourth and final Test against Australia and named the off-spinner in their 13-man match squad yesterday.

With a 2-1 lead, India need only draw the Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground to secure their first series triumph in Australia and something of a standoff on team-namings appeared to develop on the eve of the match.

India skipper Virat Kohli's press conference was prefaced by an announcement from a team spokesman that Ashwin was not 100 percent fit and would not be considered for selection.

Australia's Tim Paine followed and said the hosts were waiting to finalise their team-one of their considerations being whether the Indians played two spinners at a ground that traditionally offers something for the slow bowlers.

Half an hour later, the India team sent out a message saying Ashwin was in the squad and a decision on whether he played would not be made until the first morning of the match today.

KL Rahul, dropped after the Perth defeat, was recalled to the squad and looks set to open with Hanuma Vihari dropping down the order to bat at number six in place of Rohit Sharma, who has returned home to be at the birth of his first child.

Ishant Sharma, one of the disciplined pace trio that have done so much to put India in such a strong position, was left out because of what the team said was "rib cage discomfort".

Umesh Yadav will offer a third pace option but given his laboured performance when India played four quicks in Perth, his inclusion might be seen as a strong indication that the tourists will go for a twin spin threat.

Ashwin took six for 149 as India won the series opener in Adelaide but was forced to sit out the second Test defeat in Perth and the win in Melbourne because of a side strain.

He underwent fitness Tests yesterday and Paine said he had been surprised to hear that he was not available for the match. Kohli spoke at length about his disappointment that Ashwin was not fit for such an important match.

"It's quite unfortunate that he's had two niggles that are quite similar on the last couple of away tours," he said."He's very important in test cricket, he's a vital part of this team and we want him to be 100 percent fit so he can contribute."

Neanwhile, Indian skipper and master batsman Virat Kohli yesterday played down fears that recurring back spasms could hinder his stellar career, insisting all players get "niggles" and they were "nothing new".

Kohli received treatment from the physio on day two of the Melbourne Test against Australia last week, appearing to be in pain just before he was out for 82 in the first innings.

He has a recent history of back problems and was forced off the field during the second Test in England earlier this year.

But the 30-year-old, widely considered the best batsmen across all three formats of the game and crucial to India's success, said it wasn't a major concern.

"I've had this issue since 2011, it's nothing new," he said in Sydney ahead of the fourth and final Test against Australia.

"I've been able to manage it because of the physical effort I've put in over the past few years. And when you have a back that has these issues you can only maintain it that way."

The passionate Kohli, who admits he is obsessed with winning cricket matches, added that he was "not too bothered" about the issue.

"If the workload gets high it can get into a spasm, I mean you don't necessarily get serious issues, you get fine in two or three days," he said.

"I'm not too concerned with it, you just have to manage it physically and stay ahead of the injury and I have been able to do it for now.

"I'm sure I'll find other ways and more options to keep countering that.

"I mean, it's impossible to keep going without niggles and I think it's fine to have a few niggles here and there. You just need to be able to manage it."

The prolific Kohli has been at the forefront of Indian cricket for a decade, playing 76 Test and more than 200 one-day internationals.

India squad - KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav. - AFP