The Indian cricket team for the Test series against England was announced on Saturday by BCCI chief selector Ajit Aggarkar. While Sai Sudarshan’s choice, Karun Nair, Arshdeep Singh received a call on the expected lines, veteran Pesar Mohammed Shami was not included due to his fitness. The two names were ignored, some of the quarters were Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer to surprise. The latter has been in a spectacular touch of both in limited over format in India and IPL 2025 in recent times. He also has a test experience but was ignored.
BCCI chief selector Ajit Aggarkar said that there is no place for Shreyas Iyer in the test team at this time. “Shreyas had a good series of a day, which was well played in domestic, but there is no place in Test cricket.”
Karun Nair, who has been assigned a Test call-up on the back of a continuous performance in domestic cricket, has been supported by Agkar for coming well in England after overtaking Sarfaraz Khan. “Sometimes you just have to make good decisions. Sarfaraz, I know that he got 100 in the first Test and then did not get runs. Sometimes it is decided that the team takes the management.”
“At the moment, Karun has piled up in domestic, played a little Test cricket, has played a bit of county cricket. Not with Virat, we clearly lack a little experience. We felt that his experience could help.”
With Mohammed Shami not being fully fit, left-handed pacer Arshdeep Singh has been entrusted with a young woman Test call-up. Both Arshdeep and Karun had county stents with Kent and Northamptonshire respectively.
“He is a quality bowler and also tastes the county. He plays domestic when he can do. A tall man can bowl with a new ball, the body of cricket in red balls is a body of work and in the last few years as recently. Bumrah is not likely to play all five tests, we needed a little variety.”
Shardul Thakur and Nitish Kumar Reddy are seam-bouling all-rounders, in which Agamkar supports the couple to shine in England. “Shardul is a bowling all -rounder, sometimes you need a player based on the balance of the team. He is also going on a tour. Nitish is a batting all -rounder at this point, hopefully his bowling will also come together.”
Subjects mentioned in this article
