Bangladesh vs India: Injured Rohit Sharma to miss 1st Test
In a major development, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma has been ruled out of the opening Test of the two-match series against Bangladesh, starting December 14 in Chattogram. KL Rahul will be the stand-in captain for the visitors. Wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant, who was released ahead of the three-match ODI series, makes a return to the Test squad. Here's more.
India’s updated Test squad for Bangladesh series
India's squad for Bangladesh Tests: KL Rahul (captain), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat.
Rohit will miss the opening Test
Rohit is undergoing treatment for a thumb injury that he picked up in the second ODI. As per a report on ESPNcricinfo, he met with a specialist in Mumbai and will look to be a part of the second Test, commencing on December 22. It is to note that the final call on Rohit's availability will be taken by the BCCI's medical team.
Rahul takes up the captain’s mantle
Rahul will lead the Indian cricket team in Rohit's absence. The Karnataka batter is likely to pair up top with an in-form Shubman Gill. Abhimanyu Easwaran replaces the Mumbaikar in the squad. The 27-year-old led India A against Bangladesh A, slamming 141 and 157 in the first and second unofficial Tests, respectively. He has played 78 FC matches and scored 5,576 runs at 45.33.
Plenty of changes in India’s bowling attack
All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and seamer Mohammed Shami are out of the tour owing to knee and shoulder injuries, respectively. Uttar Pradesh spinner Saurabh Kumar, who claimed a six-fer in the second unofficial Test against Bangladesh A, replaces Jadeja. Delhi speedster Navdeep Saini and Saurashtra's Jaydev Unadkat have been added. Veteran Umesh Yadav will be leading the pace attack that also includes Mohammed Siraj.
Pujara to serve as Rahul’s deputy
Cheteshwar Pujara, who was dropped for the Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this year, put up a stunning show in the County season. The same earned him a recall for the rescheduled Test against England in July. Playing for Sussex, the 34-year-old slammed 1,094 runs in just eight County Championship matches. He will serve as the vice-captain in the upcoming Test.
