Following India's World Test Championship (WTC) final debacle a few weeks ago, the BCCI and selectors have started looking at other options not just in the batting department but also in bowling as well. Ishant Sharma has already been phased out, Umesh Yadav has been dropped after the WTC final and the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Navdeep Saini are involved with County sides.
While there is still time for Arshdeep to fully be ready for red-ball cricket, Saini has earned a recall into the Test team after some brilliant new-ball skills he showed in the County Championship last year playing for Kent and in the couple of matches he played for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2023. Saini's Test recall happened a few minutes after Worcestershire announced him as an overseas player for four County Championship matches.
In his first and probably the only match he will play for Worcestershire, Saini announced himself in style. After his team was bowled out for 237 against Derbyshire in the Division 2 match, Saini took the new ball with Joe Leach and on the first ball of his spell he dismissed Harry Came after the batter shouldered his arms. The ball pitched outside the off-stump but came in late, just enough to disturb the batter's stumps.
Derbyshire lost another wicket before the close of play as Worcestershire didn't let the visitors get away. Watch the video of the dismissal here:
Since the Championship matches will clash with the West Indies tour, Saini will play just one match for Worcestershire before flying to the Caribbean. The two-match Test series against the West Indies begins on July 12 in Dominica with the second and the final game to be played in Trinidad. Saini will hope to get a few more wickets to be in rhythm for the Test series in a couple of weeks' time.
