Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Pujara dropped; Jaiswal and Gaikwad in India's Test squad for West Indies

Written by 
Published in Cricket
Friday, 23 June 2023 04:42
It means India will have a new No. 3 for the series after Pujara, 35, scored only 14 and 27 in the World Test Championship final against Australia earlier in June. Unless India move Shubman Gill down to No. 3, Pujara's spot could be taken by either Jaiswal or Gaikwad for India's first series in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle.
Ajinkya Rahane, who was India's highest scorer at The Oval, has kept his place after making a comeback following a 15-month absence from the Test team. He has also been named vice-captain. The rest of the squad, led by Rohit Sharma, includes most of the players selected for the WTC final. Saini, meanwhile, has not played a Test since the famous victory at the Gabba in 2021.

Jaiswal had made the trip to London as a stand-by player along with Mukesh, after Gaikwad, who was part of the original list of back-ups, withdrew to get married. While Jaiswal and Mukesh are uncapped, Gaikwad has played ten limited-overs internationals; his most-recent an ODI against South Africa in October last year.

Gaikwad, who plays for Maharashtra, has a first-class average of 42.19 from 28 games with six centuries, and his technique has impressed the selectors and team management who have been looking to bring him into the Test team for a while now.

Jaiswal has been prolific for Mumbai and has a first-class average of 80.21 in 26 innings. In his most recent first-class game - the Irani Cup - he made 213 and 144 for Rest of India against Madhya Pradesh. That aggregate of 357 is the most for any batter in an Irani Cup game. Jaiswal has the ability to not just open but also bat at No. 3 if required.

Mukesh is a workhorse who plays for Bengal. The 30-year-old is a line-and-length fast bowler who has built an impressive body of work in domestic cricket. He was key to Bengal making two Ranji Trophy finals in the last three seasons and has been on the Test radar for a while, having featured in every India A tour over the past two seasons. He has 149 wickets in 39 first-class games.

Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are all still recovering from surgery for various injuries, and with Rishabh Pant undergoing rehab after surviving a car crash last December, KS Bharat and Ishan Kishan have been picked as India's wicketkeepers in the Caribbean. Bharat has played all five Tests since Pant's injury, but has scored just 129 runs at an average of 18.42.
On the spin-bowling front, Axar Patel provides back up to R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Jaydev Unadkat, who has been part of every Test squad since the tour of Bangladesh last December, was also retained and is the only left-arm seamer in a fast bowling group that also includes Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Saini and Mukesh, all of whom have fewer than 100 Test wickets each.

India open their tour of the West Indies with the first Test in Dominica from July 12. The second Test begins on July 20 at Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. They won their previous Test series in the Caribbean 2-0 in 2019.

India's Test squad: Rohit Sharma (capt), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, Ishan Kishan (wk), Navdeep Saini

Read 70 times

Soccer

USWNT awaits update on Alyssa Naeher leg injury

USWNT awaits update on Alyssa Naeher leg injury

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsUnited States women's national team No. 1 and Chicago Red Stars sta...

Pep: 'Arsenal champions' if City don't beat Spurs

Pep: 'Arsenal champions' if City don't beat Spurs

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPep Guardiola has told his Manchester City players to take their ch...

Villa snatch Liverpool draw on late Durán double

Villa snatch Liverpool draw on late Durán double

Colombian super-sub Jhon Durán scored two late goals as Aston Villa battled back to salvage a 3-3 ho...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Knicks' Robinson has ankle surgery, sources say

Knicks' Robinson has ankle surgery, sources say

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson had surgery on his left...

Sources: Lakers to start talking with candidates

Sources: Lakers to start talking with candidates

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCHICAGO -- The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to start contacting...

Baseball

Reliever Alzolay (forearm) joins Cubs' crowded IL

Reliever Alzolay (forearm) joins Cubs' crowded IL

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsATLANTA -- Right-hander Adbert Alzolay, who opened the season as th...

Orioles promote Stowers, option Kjerstad to AAA

Orioles promote Stowers, option Kjerstad to AAA

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsIn the midst of his power explosion since the start of spring train...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated