First instance when no Mumbai player is playing a Test at home
Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out for the remainder of the series against England while Shardul Thakur was not picked for the fourth Test in Mumbai.
In Short
- India played their first ever Test in Mumbai in 1933
- Rahane has been ruled out for the remainder of the England series with a finger injury
- Mumbai's Shardul Thakur is part of India's Test squad
For the first time since India played their first ever Test here in 1933, no Mumbai player could make it to the playing eleven of a Test match being played at the country's 'home of cricket.' (Mumbai Test: Key highlights)
Although Mumbai player Shardul Thakur was included in the squad for the fourth India-England Test that started on Thursday at the Wankhede Stadium, he was not included in the playing XI at the eleventh hour to mark a rare happening.
Since 1933 when the Bombay Gymkhana, also in South Mumbai, played host to the first Test not only in this city but in the entire country, no Indian team has been without a Mumbai player in the eleven. (Keaton Jennings 19th Englishman to slam hundred on Test debut)
However, with Ajinkya Rahane being ruled out of the remainder of the series after sustaining a finger injury during practice on Wednesday and Thakur, who was in the squad as a cover for Mohammed Shami, also not included, meant there was no representation from Mumbai.
There have been instances in the past when a playing eleven had six to seven players from Mumbai.
This is also the 25th Test being played at this ground, since the first one in 1974-75, and 44th overall with the Brabourne Stadium, on the south side of the Churchgate railway station, having hosted 18 games from 1948 to 1972.