The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially announced the squad for the highly anticipated five-Test series against Australia. Among the notable selections are three promising uncapped players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. Additionally, the selectors have named three travelling reserves in Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Easwaran, a talented opener, has earned his place as a reserve opener ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad after an impressive performance in the Duleep Trophy, where he finished as the second-highest run-scorer. With an impressive average of 49.92 in 99 first-class matches and 27 centuries to his name, Easwaran brings a wealth of experience to the team. The uncapped duo of Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna will bolster the pace battery alongside Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.
Unfortunately, left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was ruled out due to a groin strain, while Axar Patel was surprisingly left out of the squad. Instead, the selectors have opted for Washington Sundar to partner Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as the spinner. Despite his recent struggles in the home series against New Zealand, KL Rahul has managed to secure a spot in the squad, with Dhruv Jurel serving as the reserve keeper.
India has chosen to stick with the likes of Shubman Gill and Sarfaraz Khan, despite their inconsistent form, over the experienced duo of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. This decision reflects the team's commitment to nurturing young talent and building for the future.
The visiting team will kick off their tour with a warm-up match against India A in Perth from November 15th to November 17th, leading up to the first Test against Australia in Perth on the 22nd.
India’s squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
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