The Indian squad for the first two Tests against England was announced and the headlines will surely be grabbed by Gautam Gambhir’s inclusion again.
The southpaw, who made a return to Test cricket after a two-year gap when he was called up for the New Zealand series, has maintained his place in the team. Rohit Sharma misses out due to injury, and so does Shikhar Dhawan – leaving very little competition for Gambhir to reclaim his spot.
Jayant Yadav, who made his international debut in the Visakhapatnam ODI against New Zealand, has also been included, meaning there will be the usual buzz of a player getting his first cap.
Gambhir made 29 and 50 in the final Test against NZ, and then went straight back to domestic cricket, scoring two innings of just two runs each for Delhi against Karnataka. However, he scored a fine 147 against Odisha, forcing himself back into the Indian selectors’ and Virat Kohli’s minds.
India play England in the first Test on 9 November in Rajkot, followed by the second one in Visakhapatnam, after which the team selection will be revisited.
Feature image source: Reuters