Overview:
With experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and wrist-spin options Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, India can field a good attack while preserving batting depth.
India’s next red-ball assignment begins on November 14, when they face South Africa at Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens. Having recently dominated the West Indies in a two-Test series, the hosts will aim to maintain their momentum. The spotlight will also be on Rishabh Pant, who returns to action after missing several months due to injury.
India have some tough calls to make for the opening Test. With Rishabh Pant returning from injury, Dhruv Jurel’s selection remains a tricky decision. His recent back-to-back hundreds for India A against South Africa A underline his strong form. Including Jurel could mean a reshuffle in the batting order.
With experienced all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and wrist-spin options Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, India can field a good attack while preserving batting depth.
Replacing Sai Sudharsan with Dhruv Jurel seems a logical adjustment, considering India’s upcoming fixtures are mostly on home tracks. The minor alteration in the batting sequence shouldn’t have a major impact on team dynamics.
India’s Probable XI For 1st Test: Shubman Gill (C), Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj