Rishabh Pant has returned from the injury he suffered in England in July and has been included in India’s squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa. The first Test is scheduled for November 14 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, followed by the second Test in Guwahati on November 22. Pant replaces N Jagadeesan, who was part of the squad for the recent series against the West Indies. Additionally, Akash Deep has been added to the squad in place of Prasidh Krishna.
Pant has been reinstated as the vice-captain of the team following his return to competitive cricket. He made his comeback as captain of India A during an unofficial Test against South Africa A, held from October 30 to November 2 at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. The 28-year-old player was behind the stumps throughout the match, where South Africa A batted for a total of 139.3 overs over two innings. Despite scoring only 17 runs in the first innings, Pant significantly contributed with a score of 90 off 113 balls in the second innings, leading India A to a victory by three wickets.
Senior fast bowler Mohammed Shami remains absent from the Indian Test squad, having been excluded from the previous series against the West Indies despite declaring his fitness. Recently, he showcased his skills in the Ranji Trophy, where he was instrumental in Bengal’s 141-run victory over Gujarat, claiming five wickets in the second innings and a total of eight wickets in the match. His childhood coach, Mohammed Badruddin, mentioned that Shami has regained his form, reminiscent of his peak performance as one of the top fast bowlers in the world.
Dhruv Jurel is likely to be replaced by Rishabh Pant in the squad, despite Jurel’s commendable batting performance that included his first century in the match against the West Indies. Pant’s return to the lineup is widely supported, as he had a strong start to the series in England, scoring two centuries in the initial Test. Currently, Pant boasts an impressive batting average of 64.44 across the five Tests he has participated in this year.
Prasidh was included in India’s squad for the Test series against the West Indies but did not play, with Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj selected as the main bowlers. Akash Deep might face a similar situation in the upcoming Test series against South Africa, contingent on whether Bumrah or Siraj are rested. India is cautious about the threat posed by South Africa, the current World Test Champions, especially after their decisive victory over West Indies. This series marks India’s first challenging Test at home since their surprising 3-0 defeat to New Zealand last year.
Meanwhile, Prasidh has been named in the India A squad for a three-match one-day series against South Africa A in Rajkot. Tilak Varma will captain the team, supported by vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Among the squad members, Ishan Kishan and T20I world no. 1 batter Abhishek Sharma are also included.
