BCCI has announced the squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand. The first game will start on November 25th at Kanpur, while the second encounter will take place from 3rd December in Mumbai. A few seniors have been rested, including Virat Kohli, who will return for the second encounter. In this article, we take a look at five players unlucky to miss out on the Test squad for the New Zealand series.
India’s Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Md. Siraj, and Prasidh Krishna.
1) Hanuma Vihari – Has been excluded from the Test squad for New Zealand Series
Hanuma Vihari is one of the players unlucky to miss out on the Test squad for the New Zealand series. The right-handed batsman has been a part of Team India for a while now. However, opportunities have been limited. Hence, with a few seniors rested, it was natural that he would be given a chance. Shockingly, his name was not found in the squad. There was an outrage on Twitter, and later, BCCI announced that he would be a part of the India A squad.
2) Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has not been included in the Test squad. It is not sure if he has been dropped or rested. However, with cricketers like Ravindra Jadeja also a part of the squad, it seems that Thakur may after all, not be rested. Having done well recently in England, he must have been given a chance so that he could cement his place in the squad. The Mumbai cricketer did not get that opportunity.
3) Jaydev Unadkat – Deserved a chance in the Test squad for New Zealand Series
Jaydev Unadkat was a top-performer in the previous Ranji Trophy. He has been doing well for a few years now. The Saurashtra captain is also contributing decently with the bat in recent seasons. India needs left-arm seamers and with Jaydev having done well on the Indian pitches, he should have been given a go. He also found his name missing in the final squad.
4) Jalaj Saxena
Jalaj Saxena is also one of the players unlucky to miss out on the Test squad for the New Zealand series. Jayant Yadav has been selected for the tournament, but Jalaj has been doing well consistently in the Ranji Trophy. He is also a better-established batsman than Jayant. Yes, Ashwin is sure to play both games, but Jalaj could have become a better player with the experience of sharing the Indian dressing room.
5) Sheldon Jackson
Rishabh Pant was expected to be rested for this series. Hence, the likes of KS Bharat got a chance. While Bharat’s inclusion was justified, it is not sure if Wriddhiman Saha’s incorporation would benefit India in the long run. Sheldon Jackson is also of a similar age group, but he offers more with the bat than Saha. Hence, he could have been considered.
