India have announced their squad for the two-Test series against South Africa starting November 14.
Rishabh Pant returns, so does Akash Deep
India have made two changes to the group that faced West Indies last month, with wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant returning after recovering from a foot injury and fast bowler Akash Deep making a comeback as well. Pant has also been named as the vice-captain, continuing in the role he was assigned during the England tour.
The left-hander recently returned to action in the unofficial Test against South Africa A, leading the India A side to a tense victory courtesy a fourth-innings 90 in a chase of 275.
Narayan Jagadeesan, who was called up as a replacement for Pant in England and was part of the squad for the West Indies series as well, has made way, while Prasidh Krishna has been replaced by Akash Deep.
Pant's inclusion will give the Indian side a pleasant headache as far as slotting him back in the XI is concerned. Dhruv Jurel, who replaced Pant since his injury, has been in fine form, having scored his maiden Test hundred during the West Indies series.
The rest of the squad bears a settled look, with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as the designated openers, and Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj the frontline seamers alongside Akash.
The two Tests will be played in Kolkata (November 14-18) and Guwahati (November 22-26), the latter hosting its first Test match.
India squad for South Africa Tests
Batters
Shubman Gill (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal
Wicketkeepers
Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Dhruv Jurel
All-rounders
Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy
Bowlers
Jasprit Bumrah,, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
