India announce squad for South Africa Tests; Rishabh Pant returns
What's the story
Star batter Rishabh Pant has returned to India's Test squad after recovering from his foot fracture he sustained during the England tour. He was named in India's squad for the impending Test series against South Africa at home, starting November 14. The Men's Senior Selection Committee announced the squad on Wednesday, November 5. Shubman Gill will lead the side against the Proteas.
Details
A look at squad and schedule
India's Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper and vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, and Akash Deep. India will host South Africa in two Tests in Kolkata (November 14-18) and Guwahati (November 22-26).
Return
Pant returns to Test fold
Pant made a stunning return to red-ball cricket this month, leading India A at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Pant slammed a 113-ball 90 as the hosts attempted to chase 275 against South Africa A. The middle-order batter shone after a three-month injury lay-off due to a toe fracture he suffered earlier this year during the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England.
Takeaways
Other key takeaways from the squad
India have retained Jurel, who has been keeping wickets in Pant's absence. He is the second wicket-keeper in the squad. While Padikkal is also in the roster, he is unlikely to feature in Sai Sudharsan's presence. Akash Deep, who took a stunning 10-wicket haul against England at Edgbaston, has also returned to the side. He will join Bumrah and Siraj in the pace attack.
Shami
What about Mohammed Shami?
The Indian selection committee continues to ignore pacer Mohammed Shami despite his recent outings in the Ranji Trophy. Notably, Shami has already taken 15 wickets from his first three matches for Bengal this season. After a successful Champions Trophy stint, Shami played a full Indian Premier League season and represented East Zone in the Duleep Trophy. However, he was ignored for the Test season.
Unofficial ODIs
India A's squad for ODI series
The BCCI also announced India A's squad for the impending three-match ODI series (unofficial) against South Africa A. Senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli won't feature in the series. Squad: Tilak Varma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, and Prabhsimran Singh (wicket-keeper).