Cricket News
Ind vs NZ – Test squad – Mohammed Shami not ready for New Zealand tests; Jasprit Bumrah named vice-captain
India will go into the home Test series against New Zealand with an almost identical squad to the one against Bangladesh in September – that is, Mohammed Shami has not yet recovered in time for India to get the last red-ball match before the Five-Test. series in Australia to close this year. Yash Dayal, who had made his Test debut in the Bangladesh Test series, also missed out.
Jasprit Bumrah was appointed as the vice-captain for the three Tests against New Zealand. With Rohit Sharma doubtful for the first Test against Australia, which starts in Perth on November 22, the focus is now on India’s vice-captain.
India did not have a designated vice-captain in their recent Test series against Bangladesh but Bumrah played the role for India in the past when he was vice-captain in the two-match home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Later. , served in this capacity during the two-Test tour of South Africa in 2023-24 and in the Five-Test series against England earlier this year.
Bumrah also led India once in the one Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after testing positive for Covid-19.
Shami, on the other hand, is busy recovering from an ankle injury that required surgery. He last played a competitive match in November 2023 – the ODI World Cup final against Australia in Ahmedabad. It was hoped that he would return to full match fitness in time for India’s ongoing domestic season, ahead of the marquee series in Australia.
Tearaway Mayank Yadav, who made his T20I debut for India earlier this month against Bangladesh, will join the team as a tourney along with Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
India play three Tests against New Zealand, the first of which starts on October 16 in Bengaluru. That is followed by trials in Pune and Mumbai. New Zealand have a major injury concern going into the series, with captain Kane Williamson suffering a groin problem.
India currently tops the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, with 74.24 per cent in 11 Test matches. Wins in each of the remaining eight Tests (three against New Zealand at home and five away against Australia) will take them to 85.09%, but a reasonable aim for them will be to ensure they get enough points to seal their place. WTC final regardless of other results.
India Test team in New Zealand series
Rohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep , Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain)
Travel destinations: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna
Source link
