Mumbai: Virat Kohli after missing out on the last three games during the Australia series has returned to the Test squad announced for the home series against England. He will lead the 18-member team that also sees the return of Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma. It should be stated here that Virat Kohli was on paternity leave after the first Test at Adelaide.
The Indian selectors have retained most of the players who were Australia save Prithvi Shaw and Navdeep Saini. However, the trio of Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Umesh Yadav has not been kept in the team as they are recovering from injuries.
The selectors have named three openers in the squad. They are Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal. It will be virtually impossible to keep out Gill from the final XI after his show in Australia. It should also be stated that Mayank Agarwal had batted in the middle-order in the Brisbane Test which India won.
The middle-order will have Cheteshwar Pujara, followed by captain Kohli and his deputy Ajinkya Rahane. It will be interesting to see who the selectors favour in the home series – Wriddhiman Saha or Rishabh Pant. Both have been included in the team. On form Pant looks a sure bet, but on the turning tracks Saha may also have role to play behind the stumps.
Hardik Pandya is the lone genuine all-rounder in the team. However, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar have proved that they are hand with the willow after their show in Brisbane.
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will lead the pace attack while Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel are the two spin bowling options in the squad alongside Ravichandran Ashwin and Sundar. KL Rahul too has been named in the squad subject to his fitness.
The selectors have named four players as stand-bye. They are wicket-keeper KS Bharat, Bengal opener Abhimanya Easwaran and spinners Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar.
The first two Tests of the series will be played in Chennai and then the action will shift to Ahmedabad. The first Test at Chennai begins February 5.
The Squad: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shubhman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel.
