Top batsman Rohit Sharma cleared a fitness test on Wednesday (20) and will join India's tour of the United Kingdom, bringing relief to selectors after two others recently failed to pass muster.
Sharma, whose inclusion in the limited-overs squad was considered vital for any hope of Indian success, passed the 'yo-yo' running exercise introduced to ensure players were up to scratch.
All eyes were on Sharma as he proved his endurance against the clock after pace spearhead Mohammed Shami and batsman Ambati Rayudu failed the same test despite already being chosen for the India squad.
Players are supposed to take the yo-yo test before selection under rules introduced by India's cricket board last year and a break in protocol for Shami has caused controversy.
Shami was chosen for the Test squad against Afghanistan last weekend without running the yo-yo. He was replaced in the one-off match by uncapped paceman Navdeep Saini after failing to prove his fitness.
Left-handed batsman Suresh Raina was called up for India's one-day international squad for England after Rayudu was found unfit.
Board administrator Vinod Rai said "there was no time to organise" the tests because the names of all prospective players for the tour had to be submitted for travel visas to the UK.
"Because of that, the cart was put before the horse and we will ensure that this doesn't happen from now on," he told AFP.
India will play two Twenty20 internationals in Ireland before travelling to England for a three-month tour starting with the first of three T20 matches on July 3.
The Virat Kohli-led side will also play three ODI matches and five Tests.
UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in August, after contracting in July
IMF predicts Britain will have the second-fastest G7 growth in 2025
Economists warn growth remains weak ahead of Reeves’ November budget
Bank of England faces balancing act between inflation and sluggish growth
UK’s ECONOMY returned to growth in August, expanding by 0.1 per cent from July, according to official data released on Thursday. The slight rise offers limited relief to chancellor Rachel Reeves as she prepares for her November budget.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said gross domestic product for July was revised to show a 0.1 per cent fall from June, compared with a previous estimate that showed no change.
Earlier this week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Britain’s economy is set to record the second-fastest growth among the Group of Seven nations in 2025, after the United States. However, with annual growth projected at 1.3 per cent, it remains insufficient to avoid tax rises in Reeves’ budget.
Fergus Jimenez-England, associate economist at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said early signs for September suggested limited growth in the third quarter. "Regaining momentum hinges on restoring business confidence and reducing uncertainty, which the government can support by setting aside a larger fiscal buffer in the upcoming budget," Jimenez-England said.
Sanjay Raja, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank, said the figures indicated that the services and construction sectors were in a "pre-budget funk" and forecast that growth in the third quarter would be about half the Bank of England’s estimate of 0.4 per cent. "The UK economy has yet to see the full ramifications of the US trade war," Raja said. "Budget uncertainty is hitting its peak too – likely dampening discretionary household and business spending."
A Reuters poll of economists had forecast that GDP would expand by 0.1 per cent in August.
In the three months to August, growth rose slightly to 0.3 per cent from 0.2 per cent in the three months to July, supported by public health service activity while consumer-facing services declined, the ONS said.
The Bank of England, which held interest rates at 4 per cent in September, continues to navigate between persistent inflation and weak growth.
Governor Andrew Bailey said on Tuesday that the labour market was showing signs of softening and inflation pressures were easing after data showed unemployment at its highest since 2021 and a slowdown in private sector wage growth.
Monetary Policy Committee member Alan Taylor also warned on Tuesday that the British economy risked a "bumpy landing", citing the impact of US president Donald Trump’s trade tariffs.
Data published earlier this week showed weak growth in retail sales, partly reflecting concerns about possible tax increases in Reeves’ November 26 budget.
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