In a recent development, the selection committee led by Ajit Agarkar has made notable changes to the Indian squad for the remaining Test series against England. Shreyas Iyer, who failed to leave a significant mark with the bat in the first two Tests, has been dropped from the 17-member roster. Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul, both integral players pending fitness clearance from the BCCI’s medical team, are part of the squad. Jadeja was sidelined in the second Test due to a hamstring injury, while Rahul was dealing with a quad niggle.
A significant addition to the Test squad is Bengal seamer Akash Deep, who receives his maiden Test call-up. This inclusion aims to bolster India's bowling lineup. However, the absence of Virat Kohli continues, as he remains unavailable for personal reasons.
Shreyas Iyer, the lone senior batter alongside captain Rohit Sharma, failed to make a substantial impact in the first two Tests, managing scores of 35, 13, 27, and 29 in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, respectively. Known for his proficiency against spin, Iyer encountered challenges in both defensive techniques and strokeplay. After experiencing back spasms post the second Test, although initially cleared for selection, the selectors decided to omit him from the upcoming Tests. His struggles against short balls have led to the decision that he won't be considered for Test matches in the future.
On the other hand, Rajat Patidar, who made his debut in Visakhapatnam with scores of 32 and 9, retains his spot in the squad. Sarfaraz Khan, yet to make his Test debut, remains in contention.
Akash Deep's Test squad inclusion follows his outstanding performance in the recent three-match red-ball series against the England Lions, where he emerged as the leading wicket-taker for India A, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 18.72. He was also part of India’s Asian Games winning squad and featured in KL Rahul’s ODI side during the South Africa series.
The seam-bowling department will be led by Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mukesh Kumar. Unfortunately, Mohammed Shami, recovering from an ankle injury, remains sidelined, with his last appearance dating back to the ODI World Cup final in November. There are also concerns that Bumrah might miss the third Ranchi Test for workload management.
With the ongoing Test series against England tied at 1-1, the third Test is set to commence on February 15 in Rajkot. Subsequently, the teams will move to Ranchi for the fourth game and then to Dharamsala for the fifth and final Test.
The squad for the last three Tests includes Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, and Akash Deep.
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