Team India announced their squad for the 2-match Test series against New Zealand, which starts on 25th November 2021 in Kanpur before moving on to Mumbai. The two teams will have played a 3-match T20I series before the Test series begins.
Ajinkya Rahane has been named captain of the team for the first Test, while Cheteshwar Pujara has been named vice captain for the series. Virat Kohli will join and lead the team for the second Test.
Test regulars like Rohit Sharma (who will be captain in the T20I series), Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami have been rested, keeping in mind the workload and the bubble fatigue of the all-format players. The selection committee is also keeping one eye on the upcoming South Africa tour.
Middle-order batter Shreyas Iyer, wicketkeeper KS Bharat, off-spinner Jayant Yadav, and pacer Prasidh Krishna find a place in the Test squad. Interestingly, KL Rahul and off-spinner Ravi Ashwin, who are part of the T20I squad, have also been picked in the Test side. These are the only two players who won’t be getting any rest from the continuous cricket of the past six months.
The pace attack, despite the absence of Bumrah and Shami, looks threatening. Senior player Ishant Sharma will lead the attack alongside Umesh Yadav, with Mohammed Siraj being a part of it. The surprise omissions from the squad are the in-form pacer Shardul Thakur and middle-order batter Hanuma Vihari.
India’s Test Squad
Ajinkya Rahane (C), Cheteshwar Pujara (VC), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Virat Kohli (will join and captain for the 2nd Test)
India vs New Zealand Test Schedule 2021
- 1st Test – 25th-29th November, Kanpur
- 2nd Test – 3rd-7th December, Mumbai
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