Shaw and Suryakumar to join Team India in England
What's the story
The Indian cricket team is set to be bolstered by the additions of white-ball specialists Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav in the Test squad for the upcoming five-match series against England. The two batters will travel to the UK after the BCCI and national selectors agreed to the team management's request for reinforcements for their series against England. Here are the details.
Injuries
The situation regarding the injured trio
Gill was immediately after the ICC World Test Championship final last month because of a stress injury to his shins. He is currently recovering after going back to India. Pacer Avesh and all-rounder Washington sustained finger injuries while playing against the Indian team during a three-day warm-up game, which ended on Thursday. The two will need to return back home.
Information
India trio ruled out ahead of the Test series
The decision to add these two players came after a spate of injuries that has seen Shubman Gill, Washington Sundar, and pacer Avesh Khan ruled out in the lead up to the Test series.
Details
Chetan Sharma-led selection committee pick Shaw and Surya
According to a report in Cricbuzz, the names of Suryakumar and Shaw were zeroed in by the Chetan Sharma-led selection committee following a discussion with head coach Ravi Shastri. Meanwhile, a request for a third player was also reportedly made. However, there is no information if another player will be joining the squad in England.
Duo
Prithvi and Surya are in Sri Lanka
At this moment, nobody knows when will Shaw and Surya travel to England. The two players are currently involved in the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Both players played in the just-concluded ODI series which India won 2-1. The report adds that the two players will be available for the T20I series that starts on Sunday as of now.
Decision
Mayank could open alongside Rohit in the first Test
With the first Test starting on August 4, it's likely that Mayank Agarwal will open for Team India alongside Rohit Sharma. India also have the option of KL Rahul but it was earlier reported that the management is keen on having him bat in the middle-order. Rahul scored a century while batting at number five in the recent warm-up game.
Analysis
Decoding the addition of the players and India's squad
Despite Sundar being ruled out, India are well stocked in the spin department. They have R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel in the squad. The pace-bowling unit is also heavy. Shaw comes in as an option atop if either Rohit and Mayank get injured or suffer from poor form. Surya will be a cushion in the middle-order with India already having enough resources.