The month-long break is all set to expire for Indian cricketers. The Duleep Trophy will mark the beginning of a long cricket season that will culminate with the WTC Final in June 2025. India Cricket Team will begin their journey with the IND vs BAN Test series starting September 19. But before that, most of the players will grind in the Duleep Trophy. The Test series-bound players will play the first round and considering how they deliver, the Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI Selection Committee will announce the squad.
However, there won’t be many surprises. Jasprit Bumrah, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma apart from Ravichandran Ashwin have an exemption from the Duleep Trophy. But the likes of KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Shubman Gill will grind in the domestic circuit. All the players will assemble in Chennai after the first set of Duleep Trophy matches for a short camp.
“Test squad is all set. It is about filling up two or three spots. Ajit and his team will watch the Duleep Trophy and then they will decide on the few available spots. Yes, Virat and Rohit both will play in the Test series. This is a new cycle and they need to get into that red-ball zone before the Australia tour,” a BCCI official told InsideSport.
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Test captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are automatic choices apart from Shubman Gill, who roared back to form against England. Yashasvi Jaiswal too has cemented his place in the Test side.
With Rishabh Pant making his international return in the T20 World Cup, he is in the Test reckoning again after a long injury layoff following a near-fatal accident in December of 2022.
KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja are also guaranteed starters in the IND vs BAN Test series. Kuldeep Yadav who is currently the best leg-spinner in India is back to his best. With the pitches expected to be slow turners, expect Kuldeep to partner with Jadeja and Ashwin.
There could also be a case for Axar Patel in the Playing XI. While Axar may not be a guaranteed starter, he, for sure, will be the backup spinner.
“It’s not a summer season so I don’t expect the pitches to be dry and turn a lot. There could be rain around and expect some moisture. Pitches can help seamers too. As for Bumrah, he will be back in New Zealand series. We have important Tests coming up and he is crucial for us to qualify for World Test Championship Final,” the BCCI official added.
Who are still uncertain for IND vs BAN Test?
Despite an excellent debut series, Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel have no guaranteed spots in the Playing XI. The reason is the return of Rishabh Pant. With KL Rahul cementing his place in the middle-order, he is indispensable. Even though injury curtailed his progress in the IND vs ENG Test series, KL Rahul scored valuable 86 runs in the 2nd innings, even if it came in a defeat.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal opening and Shubman Gill at No 3 and the return of Virat Kohli at No 4, there is no place for Sarfaraz or Dhruv Jurel for no fault of theirs.
It will be a hard pill to swallow for both young batters after they won India the series against England. Dhruv Jurel scored 190 runs at an average of 63.33 in three matches. Sarfaraz Khan smashed 200 runs including three half-centuries in five innings.
In the bowling department, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep could fight for the remaining pacer’s slot with Jasprit Bumrah set to be rested. But the new India head coach Gautam Gambhir is keen on having a left-arm seamer. That could propel Khaleel Ahmed or Arshdeep Singh back into the Test reckoning.
