India have announced the squad for their Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. While many seniors are making a comeback, several players who featured during India’s last series against England lost their place.
Rajat Patidar
Patidar came in as Virat Kohli’s replacement during the England series but failed to impress. Despite being one of the most sought-after talents in the Indian domestic circuit, the middle-order batter managed only 63 runs at an average of 10.50. He was visibly exposed against spin, falling six out of six times to spinners.
Devdutt Padikkal
Padikkal had a memorable debut in Dharamsala, scoring 65 in his only Tetst innings so far. With seniors like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul coming back, it was always hard for him to retain his place in the squad. The decision shouldn’t raise a lot of eyebrows.
KS Bharat
Having made his debut four years after his first international call-up in 2019, Bharat couldn’t make the most of the opportunities he got as a regular wicketkeeper after Rishabh Pant was unavailable for more than a year owing to a near-fatal accident.
With Dhruv Jurel’s rise and Pant's return, he has fallen well below the pecking order of wicketkeeper-batters in the country.
Rishabh Pant is BACK in an India Test squad!#INDvBAN https://t.co/vGOC3zGJkp
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 8, 2024
Washington Sundar
Sundar’s exclusion from the squad highlights the lack of room for a spin-bowling all-rounder, given the list is well-dominated by R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel.
In addition, Sundar’s injury woes haven’t helped his case either. He earned a recall during the England Tests but didn’t play a game before being released to participate in the Ranji Trophy semi-final for Tamil Nadu.
Mukesh Kumar
Mukesh played the second Test in Visakhapatnam, but his performance left a lot to be desired. He only picked up a wicket and bowled the least number of overs among the Indian bowlers. The pacer was released from the squad thereafter. Yash Dayal’s call-up indicates India are looking to inject fresh faces, particularly those who can bowl with their left-arm.
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