Ruturaj Gaikwad, the prolific opener, is poised to lead India A on their upcoming tour of Australia later this month. The 15-man squad will feature a host of talented players, including Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sai Sudharsan, and Devdutt Padikkal, who are all vying for a spot in the Test squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
With Rohit Sharma expected to miss the first two matches of the Test series due to personal reasons, India will need to name a reserve opener. The matches against Australia A will provide an opportunity for Easwaran and Sudharsan to showcase their skills and stake their claim for a place in the Test squad.
Easwaran, 29, has been in exceptional form this domestic season, scoring two centuries in the Duleep Trophy, another century in the Irani Trophy, and a ton for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy. Sudharsan, 23, has also impressed with a first-class hundred for English county Surrey, a century in the Duleep Trophy, and a double-hundred in Tamil Nadu’s ongoing Ranji Trophy match.
The middle-order of the India A squad will be bolstered by Padikkal, B Indrajith, and Ricky Bhui, while Abishek Porel and Ishan Kishan will share wicket-keeping duties. Nitish Kumar Reddy, Tanush Kotian, and Manav Suthar will provide all-round options, and the pace attack will be led by Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, and Yash Dayal.
Reddy, 21, has recently recovered from a hernia and made his T20I debut for India against Bangladesh earlier this month. He is seen as a promising all-rounder who could benefit from more experience and exposure.
India A will play Australia A in two four-day matches in Mackay from October 31 and in Melbourne from November 7. They will then face the India squad in a warm-up match in Perth between November 15 and 17 before the first Test against Australia begins on November 22.
