IND vs WI: The BCCI on Thursday named India's squad for the upcoming two-Test series against the West Indies, and the announcement came with several surprises as six players from the England tour were left out.
Among the notable omissions are Karun Nair, Shardul Thakur, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Arshdeep Singh, and Akash Deep, while wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant also misses out due to injury.
Karun Nair's recall to the Test side after more than eight years did not go according to plan. Despite being given four matches in the five-Test series against England, he scored only 205 runs with one half-century. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar stated that the selectors expected more consistency from the Karnataka batter. Devdutt Padikkal, who has been in solid
form for India A, has replaced him in the squad.
Easwaran was another casualty. The Bengal opener, who has long been on the fringes of Test selection, was dropped as the management felt there was no requirement for an additional opening batter. Agarkar clarified that if the need arises, Easwaran could be drafted into the squad midway through the series. Instead, the selectors chose to strengthen the all-round department with Axar Patel.
Shardul Thakur's omission also raised eyebrows. The seam-bowling all-rounder was part of the squad in England, but with Nitish Kumar Reddy already offering a similar skill set, the selectors felt there was no need for another option of the same profile.
Arshdeep Singh, who earned a place on the England tour but did not feature in any Test, was also left out. Given the upcoming series will be played at home, the management wanted to rely on pacers with more experience in Indian conditions. His pace partner from Bengal, Akash Deep, also missed out despite a decent showing in England. He has, however, been included in the Rest of India squad for the Irani Cup clash against Vidarbha.
Meanwhile, Pant continues to recover from the toe injury sustained during the Manchester Test. Dhruv Jurel will take up wicketkeeping duties in his absence, with Narayan Jagadeesan named as backup.
With several senior players omitted and fresh faces given opportunities, the series against West Indies promises to mark a new chapter in India's Test journey.
