India's Test season finally begins in Chennai on Thursday, September 19 against Bangladesh after a long international break. The seniors and the first-choice players are back. The squad for India was named mostly on the expected lines with a couple of surprise calls, with Yash Dayal getting picked while Mukesh Kumar did not find a place. The first-choice stars Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul all returned to the side. Rahul played only the first Test against England and missed out the rest of the series due to injury.
However, those are not the only changes in India's Test squad from the England series. Take a look at the full list of changes-
IN:
Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant are the obvious inclusions. KL Rahul was named in the Indian Test squad for the last three matches against England but was later pulled out as he didn't recover on time. Rahul is back and is expected to be in the playing XI ahead of Sarfaraz Khan. Yash Dayal, the left-arm pacer is the lone inclusion in the bowling department. Dayal is part of the selection plan for the selectors keeping the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in mind. Dayal pipped the likes of Arshdeep Singh and Khaleel Ahmed for the sole spot of a left-arm seamer.
OUT:
Rajat Patidar and Devdutt Padikkal, the two middle-order batters missed out with Kohli and Rahul returning. Padikkal scored a spirited 92 in the second round of Duleep Trophy but will have to have a terrific Ranji Trophy season for a return and the same goes for Patidar. Padikkal was named Rahul's replacement in the squad for England series. Washington Sundar was also in the squad for the England Tests but was later released with Ravindra Jadeja being fit in the last three matches.
Mukesh Kumar is the only pacer to miss out from the squad for England games with KS Bharat losing his spot as well since Rishabh Pant has returned. The rest of the squad has remained the same for first Test against Bangladesh but the team might change a little for the second if India win the opener in Chennai.
India's squad for first Test against Bangladesh: Rohit Sharma (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.
