West Bengal opener Abhimanyu Easwaran and Andhra Pradesh all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy were among the surprise inclusions in India’s squad for IND vs AUS Tests. Rohit Sharma and co. will travel to Down Under to take on Australia in the five match Border-Gavaskar Trophy series starting from November 22. While Abhimanyu Easwaran was bound to get picked as India’s third opener, Nitish Reddy has been fast-tracked to Tests to provide India the depth with both bat and ball.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Nitish Reddy punch ticket to Australia
Abhimanyu Easwaran recieving a Test call-up was long overdue, especially due to his mind-blowing stats in first-class cricket. He finds his way back into the Indian side after consistently pumping hundred after hundred in the domestic tournaments, including the Duleep Trophy and Irani Cup. While there were reports of both Easwaran and Ruturaj Gaikwad in contention for the role of a reserve opener in Australia, the latter is leading India A in their tour to Australia before the senior team departs for BGT.
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Nitish Kumar Reddy’s addition to the squad will be valuable for India in Down Under. The Andhra Pradesh cricketer is already gearing up for the IND vs AUS Tests and is a part of the Ranji Trophy team. He recently played in the game against Gujarat after he was released from India’s traveling reserves and was directed to participate in Ranji. Being a pace all-rounder is one of the main reasons why he has been picked in the squad. India now have an additional pace option to fall back upon as fast bowlers would play a crucial role in the series. Additionally, Nitish Reddy offers an extension to India’s batting depth, something that the team would be worried about, given their recent form.
No Axar Patel, Sundar retains spot
A surprise ommission from the squad is Axar Patel. The all-rounder has been replaced by Washington Sundar, who was added to India’s XI for IND vs NZ 2nd Test. Kuldeep Yadav has also been axed from the side as he was unavailable for selection due to a groin injury. That explains why he has been benched so far in the series against New Zealand. Mohammed Shami’s comeback will also be delayed as he has not managed to find a place in the squad.
India’s strong pace attack
India boast of a strong battery of pacers spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah. The attack comprises of Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy. To provide more depth and options, the squad also has Navdeeo Saini, Khaleel Ahmed and Mukesh Kumar as traveling reserves. The Men in Blue have stuck with just three spinners for the tournament – Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar.
Squad for IND vs AUS Tests
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
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