Ahead of next month’s highly anticipated Border Gavaskar trophy, the All-India Senior Selection Committee on Friday announced a 17-member squad for the first two Test matches.
The selection committee has decided to catapult Suryakumar Yadav into the red-ball setup after his heroic exploits in T20I cricket. The 32-year-old has been called into the Test squad for the first time and if the team decides to play bold, the dasher could very well earn a debut cap next month.
However, India’s premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah has not been included in the squad and will undergo his injury rehabilitation process on the sidelines. Bumrah was set to play in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka but BCCI, at the last moment, decided not to risk him.
Ravindra Jadeja, India’s spin hero in the subcontinent conditions has been picked but BCCI has stated that his inclusion in the squad is based on fitness. The all-rounder has been out of international cricket since August 2022.
Rohit Sharma will handle the captaincy duties while KL Rahul will remain his deputy. Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli are set to occupy the no. 3 and 4 positions.
Shreyas Iyer, owing to his stellar record in the subcontinent could occupy the no.5 or 6 spot. India have three wicket-keeping options in Ishan Kishan, KS Bharat and KL Rahul.
On the fast bowling front, India have plenty of options that have proved their worth over the years. Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Jaydev Unadkat form the core of the pace bowling quartet and will likely not allow Bumrah’s absence to be noted.
India squad for the first two Tests:
Rohit Sharma (C), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, C Pujara, V Kohli, S Iyer, KS Bharat (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Suryakumar Yadav
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