Rahul, Pant to feature in 1st Test, confirms Gautam Gambhir
What's the story
Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of Team India, has confirmed that KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will feature in the 1st Test against Bangladesh in Chennai, starting September 19. Gambhir hinted at the inclusion of these players while speaking in the pre-match press conference. This means batters Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel will have to warm the bench. Here are further details.
Coach's assurance
Gambhir praises young players, assures future opportunities
Gambhir has clarified that the exclusion of Khan and Jurel is due to the return of senior players Rahul and Pant. He praised the young cricketers as "phenomenal players" and emphasized that team selection is based on who best fits into the XI. "We don't drop anyone. We just pick the players who fit in the XI," Gambhir stated, assuring that both Khan and Jurel will have future opportunities.
Debut performance
Khan, Jurel's impressive debut
Both Khan and Jurel burst on to Test cricket during the England series at home earlier this year. Khan demonstrated his versatility by scoring consecutive fifties in his first appearance, while Jurel delivered a Player-of-the-Match-winning performance in Ranchi. However, they will have to wait for their turn due to the return of senior players Rahul and Pant.
Player comeback
Rahul, Pant's return to Test cricket after hiatus
Rahul is expected to bat at number five in the upcoming Bangladesh Test. He hasn't batted at this position before. However, the star batter has 50-plus scores across four different positions in Tests - opening, number three, number four, and number six. His hundred at number six came in the Centurion Test against South Africa last year. On the other hand, Pant is set to play his first Test in nearly two years.
Information
India's Probable XI for 1st Test
India's Probable XI for 1st Test: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj.