India’s Test squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh has been announced, featuring the return of wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant and the maiden call-up for young pacer Yash Dayal.
Pant, who suffered a horrific car accident in December 2022, will make his Test comeback in the series opener in Chennai on September 19. His inclusion is a significant boost for India, as he is one of the team’s most explosive and dynamic players.
Another notable addition to the squad is 23-year-old Dhruv Jurel, who impressed on his Test debut against England in January. Jurel scored 190 runs in three matches, including a knock of 90, and has been rewarded with a place in the squad for the Bangladesh series.
With Pant and KL Rahul also in the squad, Jurel will be the third wicketkeeper option for India. Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta believes that India could potentially field all three wicketkeepers in their XI.
“Your XI, Yashasvi and Rohit to open. Shubman at No. 3, Virat Kohli at No. 4. KL Rahul at No. 5. Rishabh Pant at No. 6. Then maybe you can play another batter. 8 and 9 you have Jadeja and Ashwin. And then No. 10 and No. 11, you have two seamers,” Dasgupta told India Today.
“You can think of someone like Sarfaraz for the middle-order. Even for that matter… Dhruv Jurel batted beautifully. Yeah, I won’t be surprised if Rishabh, Dhruv and KL all three of them play. The other thing you have to keep in mind is the Australia series. You can also look at other options, but the way Dhruv batted, his technique and composure, I think he is more adept to batting in Australia than some of the other newcomers,” he added.
India will be looking to start their Test series against Bangladesh on a positive note, as they prepare for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in November.
