Keen to see how they hold up in red-ball cricket before Test series against Bangladesh and Australia later in the season, the selectors on named Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna in India A squad that will take on New Zealand A in three four-day matches.
Having played the most recent of his seven Tests for India last February against England, Kuldeep has the chance to impress the selectors with strong performances in the build-up to the two-Test tour of Bangladesh in December as he strives to regain footing in the battle for the third spinner’s slot amidst the incredible rise of Axar Patel.
For Prasidh, the unofficial Test series starting September 1 presents another great opportunity to strengthen his claim for a Test call-up. Rated highly in the Indian circuit for his tall stature and ability to generate disconcerting bounce, the 26-year-old has taken 49 wickets in 11 first-class matches in his career so far at a stellar average of 17.61.
Notably, Prasidh is set to team up with Jammu & Kashmir raw speedster Umran Malik on the pace front for India A, whose fast-bowling contingent also includes Mukesh Kumar, Arzan Nagwaswalla and Yash Dayal, among strong performers from the Ranji Trophy.
Kuldeep has left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar and wristspinner Rahul Chahar for company in the spin department. Kumar was named in the squad for the home Tests against Sri Lanka in March without playing, while Chahar has always been considered a promising tweaker for long-form cricket.
Priyank Panchal will be leading the squad that features fellow domestic veteran Abhimanyu Easwaran, both players having been around the India A set-up for a long time now with terrific first-class records under their belt. Also part of the squad are Sarfaraz Khan, KS Bharat, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rajat Patidar, among others.
Khan has been in scintillating form over the past two editions of the Ranji Trophy, collecting over 900 runs in both of Mumbai’s campaigns. He was part of India A’s most recent assignment in South Africa last winter.
There was no place for Shubhman Gill and Mohammed Siraj, with both of India’s Test match regulars travelling to the UK for their respective county stints. Interestingly, though, the selectors didn’t pick middle-order incumbent Hanuma Vihari despite him being a Test specialist.
