India's tussle for first-innings honours with Australia in Ahmedabad suffered a blow with lower-back pain keeping Shreyas Iyer from batting on day four. India's innings ended at the fall of their ninth wicket, with Iyer unavailable to bat.
Ravindra Jadeja batted ahead of Iyer on the third day, and while that wasn't unusual - India often use the left-handed Jadeja to break up a largely right-handed top order - Iyer didn't come out to bat even when Jadeja was dismissed on the fourth morning. Instead, wicketkeeper-batter KS Bharat walked in at No. 6. After that, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami walked out to partner Virat Kohli,, who was the ninth - and last - batter dismissed, for 186, as India took a 91-run lead.
The BCCI sent out this statement shortly after Bharat came to the crease: "Shreyas Iyer complained of pain in his lower back following the third day's play. He has gone for scans and the BCCI Medical Team is monitoring him."
ESPNcricinfo understands Iyer was not present at the ground at any point on Sunday.
The injury will particularly worry India since back trouble has dogged Iyer over the last few weeks: it kept him out of the first Test of this Border-Gavaskar series, as well as the three-match ODI series against New Zealand that preceded it.
After this Test match, Iyer's next assignment is to captain Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, which begins on March 31. Knight Riders are scheduled to play their first match of the tournament on April 1, against Punjab Kings in Mohali.
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