India Announces 18-Man Squad For The First Two Tests Against England

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has proclaimed the 18-member Indian squad for the first two Tests against England. The fast bowling allrounder Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma have returned to the squad while Axar Patel has also earned the Test call.

Indian captain Virat Kohli also has come back to the Indian squad after missing the last three Test against Australia because of the birth of his first child. Mohammed Shami, who fractured his bowling arm, is not in the squad for the first two Tests. Mohammed Siraj, who had an outstanding Test debut series in Australia, has retained his place in the squad. Washington Sundar, who was swooped in as Ravindra Jadeja‘s replacement, has also been named.

KS Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar have been named four stand-byes who will be inducted into the squad in case of anyone from the main squad was to be replaced.

Chennai will host the first two Tests of the four-match Test series against England. The first Test will begin on February 5 while the second Test will be played from February 13. But the team is likely to gather on 27 January to follow the quarantine. Ahmedabad will host the last two Tests. After which, India and England will play limited-overs leg.

Here is India’s squad:

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Burmah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel.

KS Bharat, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem and Rahul Chahar have been named four stand-byes who will be inducted into the squad in case of anyone from the main squad was to be replaced

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 19, 2021

Meanwhile, Team India, without their crucial players, have retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia at their home. They have created history as they had also broken Australia’s 32-year-old unbeaten record in Tests at the Gabba.