Bumrah picked for WI Tests, Reddy and Padikkal return

Karun Nair dropped from 15-man squad, Jadeja becomes deputy after Pant remains unavailable due to injury

Kolkata: India have recalled Devdutt Padikkal to the Test squad for the two-match home series against West Indies, dropping Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran.

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been picked for the two-match Test series against West Indies. (Reuters)

Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been picked as well, although the first Test in Ahmedabad starts on October 2, three days after the Asia Cup final in Dubai. With Rishabh Pant missing out due to the foot fracture sustained at Old Trafford in July, Ravindra Jadeja was announced as the vice-captain. Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan are the two wicketkeeper batters in the squad, with Jurel as the top pick.

The exclusion of Nair, 33, comes on the back of a mediocre series for the Karnataka batter who scored 205 runs in four Tests in the drawn series in England. “Frankly, we expected more from Karun,” said chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in the press conference on Thursday. “Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Padikkal was in the Test squad in Australia, played against England in Dharamsala, got a fifty there. He’s shown some decent form.”

Reddy was part of the England series till a knee injury had ruled him out. Axar Patel has made a quiet but expected comeback, given India will once again look to operate three spinners in both the home Tests, Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav being the others in the squad. Apart from Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna are the other specialist fast bowlers, with Reddy picked as the fast-bowling allrounder.

It remains to be seen whether Bumrah will play the first Test so soon after the Asia Cup final for which India have already qualified. Agarkar however maintained that Bumrah will be available. “This team has been picked for both the Tests, so he’s available for both Tests,” he said. “We’ve had a fair break after England. He didn’t play the fifth Test (at The Oval) either. So there’s been a five-week break. Even this tournament (Asia Cup) has been fairly spaced out till last week. So no, he’s ready and keen to play both Test matches.”

Interesting is how India have retained Sai Sudharsan—who was jostling for the No. 3 spot with Nair—indicating that he has been marked as a long-term prospect. “There were a few changes to number three, because of the combination that we played,” said Agarkar. “We played an extra all-rounder, down the order, and that’s how we changed the combination. Then Reddy came into the picture in a couple of the Tests. So that just depends on what the captain and the coach at that point want, and what balance they want to do.

“But as far as going forward is concerned, I mean, Sai has shown a lot of promise. We know he’s a very good player, and hopefully we can give him a longish run from now on, at a particular number.”

Apart from Easwaran and Nair, Akash Deep, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh and Shardul Thakur have been dropped. Easwaran, Deep and Kamboj will join the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup, which will be played against Vidarbha from October 1 in Nagpur.

BCCI okays Iyer request

The BCCI has okayed Shreyas Iyer’s request to take a break from red ball cricket, the cricket body informed in a press release on Thursday. Iyer was originally picked to lead the India A side for two-match series against Australia A but withdrew from the ongoing second game in Lucknow.

“Having undergone back surgery in the UK and managed his recovery well, he has recently experienced recurring back spasms and stiffness while playing the longer format,” the statement quoted BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia as saying. “He wishes to utilise this period to build endurance, body resilience and work on his fitness. In view of his decision, he was not considered for selection for the Irani Cup.”

India’s squad for WI Tests:

Shubman Gill (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja (vice-capt), Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav, N Jagadeesan (wk).