The structure of the Indian squad for their upcoming tour of South Africa has been the subject of a lot of scrutiny and speculations from fans and pundits alike. There were many issues to be addressed, such as the case of Hanuma Vihari, who had been excluded rather controversially for the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand, and also that of middle-order mainstay Ajinkya Rahane, who was subjected to a lot of criticism, for his lacklustre performances in recent times.
The BCCI finally broke its silence regarding the matter, as they released the 18-man squad, which will travel to South Africa for the Test series, along with a few standby players as well. The Board also announced the squads for the ODI series, and dropped quite the bombshell, as an almost unnoticeable footnote revealed that Rohit Sharma would be taking up the role of captain for the ODI team.
He was originally supposed to take charge of just the T20I squad, with Virat Kohli continuing as Test and ODI captain. However, the BCCI have decided otherwise, also handing the ODI captaincy to the experienced Rohit Sharma.
Sharma’s promotions didn’t quite end there, as a close look at the squad disclosed that he was also going to be Kohli’s deputy in the longer format, as Ajinkya Rahane was relieved of his duties as vice-captain. This could signal the end of the road for Rahane, who could possibly lose his place in the Indian team, perhaps making way for Shreyas Iyer, who did very well in the New Zealand series.
Coming to India’s squad for the Test series, there weren’t a lot of surprises when it came to the selection of the players. Injuries to Axar Patel, Shubman Gill, Rahul Chahar, and specialist all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja ruled them out of selection.
Opening batsman Rahul has successfully recovered from the injury he suffered ahead of the New Zealand series, and returns to the squad along with speedster Jasprit Bumrah, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, and newly-appointed vice-captain Sharma, who had all opted out of the series after a lengthy spell of cricket over the past few months.
Keeper Wriddhiman Saha also seems to have recovered from the injury he sustained in the Test series against the Kiwis, and finds a place in the squad for the South Africa series.
“The following players were not available for selection due to injuries and are currently undergoing rehabilitation: Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Rahul Chahar.”
said the BCCI in their official statement.
India will have a problem of plenty at the top of the order as Mayank Agarwal, KL Rahul, and Sharma have all been at the top of their Test game in recent times. Agarwal was brilliant in the recent second Test match against New Zealand, where he played wonderful knocks in both innings, getting scores of 150 and 62, as he was instrumental in India’s 372-run victory against the Black Caps.
How India will approach their middle order will be interesting, as both Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer are part of the squad. With many calling for Rahane’s axing, it remains to be seen how long the veteran can hold on to his spot. Also, with the return of Rishabh Pant, it is unlikely that Wriddhiman Saha will figure in Team India’s playing XI against the Proteas.
India look a bit hard-strapped in the all-rounder department, with both Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja missing out due to injury. Pace-bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur has been picked, possibly owing to his batting abilities in addition to his knack of producing breakthroughs with the ball, something which brought him a lot if success in England earlier this year.
The vastly experienced Ravichandran Ashwin’s batting will also come very handy, apart from his typically brilliant off-break bowling. India’s squad only features one other spinner in Jayant Yadav, who makes it into the squad after a decent showing against the Black Caps.
Meanwhile, India’s fast bowling line-up looks menacing, bolstered by the return of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. India’s most experienced pacer, Ishant Sharma, on whose form questions were raised during the Test series against New Zealand also finds a mention. Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Siraj, who have been fantastic with the red ball in recent times, also figure in the squad.
The BCCI also named four standby players for the Test series against the Proteas, including pacers Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Arzan Nagwaswalla, and left-handed all-rounder Saurabh Kumar.
The Indians will take on South Africa in three Test matches starting on Boxing Dat, December 26, at Centurion.
