Selectors look to fill Pant void with an explosive batter in Tests; Axar, Rahul opt out of NZ series
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav have got maiden Test call-ups for the first two Tests at home against Australia next month. On Friday night, the selectors announced the teams for the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand which precedes the Test series. Prithvi Shaw has been drafted into the T20I squad. Interestingly, Jasprit Bumrah has not been named in the Test team. It is believed he is still not ready to endure the rigours of Test cricket yet.
TOI understands that the selectors are looking at attacking options in the middle order for Test matches in the absence of Rishabh Pant. It is learnt that the selectors and team management are eager to play Ishan in the middle order against Australia as that could be a like-for-like replacement for Pant.
“Playing a wicketkeeper in place of Pant is not the major problem. The team needs someone who can take the game away at No. 5 like Pant did. That’s why Ishan has been picked. Suryakumar is also seen as such an option. India are expected to play on turners. So, the team will be looking at someone who can score quickly,” a BCCI source told TOI.
It is also learnt that Sarfaraz Khan lost out on a place because he has struggled to convert his domestic form for India ‘A’ team.
It’s a tricky situation for the team management. The team was comfortable playing with five specialist bowlers.
“Bharat is not seen as someone who can bat in the top six. If Bharat is played then the team will be forced to sacrifice a bowler. If Ishan is played, then he can bat in the top 6. But the concern is that Ishan has not been keeping wickets in First-Class matches. He didn’t keep wickets in the last game he played for Jharkhand,” the source said.
Ravindra Jadeja, who was out of action since the Asia Cup in September due to a knee injury, has been picked for the Test matches subject to his fitness.
“Jadeja has been asked to play at least one domestic game. If he is indeed fit then it will solve the problem of having a left-hander in the middle order and India can play five bowlers,” the source said.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul and Axar Patel opted out of the NZ series due to personal commitments.
Squad for the first two Tests vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas 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.
ODI squad for New Zealand series: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik.
T20I squad for New Zealand series: Hardik Pandya (captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.
NEW DELHI: Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav have got maiden Test call-ups for the first two Tests at home against Australia next month. On Friday night, the selectors announced the teams for the ODI and T20I series against New Zealand which precedes the Test series. Prithvi Shaw has been drafted into the T20I squad. Interestingly, Jasprit Bumrah has not been named in the Test team. It is believed he is still not ready to endure the rigours of Test cricket yet.
TOI understands that the selectors are looking at attacking options in the middle order for Test matches in the absence of Rishabh Pant. It is learnt that the selectors and team management are eager to play Ishan in the middle order against Australia as that could be a like-for-like replacement for Pant.
“Playing a wicketkeeper in place of Pant is not the major problem. The team needs someone who can take the game away at No. 5 like Pant did. That’s why Ishan has been picked. Suryakumar is also seen as such an option. India are expected to play on turners. So, the team will be looking at someone who can score quickly,” a BCCI source told TOI.
It is also learnt that Sarfaraz Khan lost out on a place because he has struggled to convert his domestic form for India ‘A’ team.
It’s a tricky situation for the team management. The team was comfortable playing with five specialist bowlers.
“Bharat is not seen as someone who can bat in the top six. If Bharat is played then the team will be forced to sacrifice a bowler. If Ishan is played, then he can bat in the top 6. But the concern is that Ishan has not been keeping wickets in First-Class matches. He didn’t keep wickets in the last game he played for Jharkhand,” the source said.
Ravindra Jadeja, who was out of action since the Asia Cup in September due to a knee injury, has been picked for the Test matches subject to his fitness.
“Jadeja has been asked to play at least one domestic game. If he is indeed fit then it will solve the problem of having a left-hander in the middle order and India can play five bowlers,” the source said.
Meanwhile, KL Rahul and Axar Patel opted out of the NZ series due to personal commitments.
Squad for the first two Tests vs Australia: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas 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.
ODI squad for New Zealand series: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Umran Malik.
T20I squad for New Zealand series: Hardik Pandya (captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar.
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