India vs Australia: Team India receive huge boost as injured player returns for 2nd Test in Delhi

 Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer has successfully completed his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) following a back injury and will join the India squad ahead of the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar series against Australia beginning here on Friday.

Iyer had played the two-match Test series in Bangladesh in December last year, but was ruled out of the home ODI series against New Zealand due to swelling in the lower back.

Iyer also missed the opening Test against Australia in Nagpur as he had not fully completed his rehabilitation.

On Tuesday, the BCCI said in a statement that Iyer had been cleared by its medical team and will join the Test squad in Delhi.

"India batter Shreyas Iyer has successfully completed his rehab at the National Cricket Academy following his back injury and has been cleared by the BCCI Medical Team. Shreyas will join the squad in New Delhi ahead of the second Test of the Mastercard Australia tour of India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy," said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a statement.

Iyer had posted a few videos of his intense rehab programme at the NCA in Bengaluru under trainer S Rajnikanth.

India have taken a 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series after registering an innings and 132-run win against the visitors in Nagpur.

India's squad for second Test: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav.