India Test Team For South Africa Named, Parthiv Patel Returns, Chance for Bumrah

Picture Courtesy : Indian Express

Selection Committee, led by MSK Prasad have announced the India squad for the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka along with unveiling the 17-member squad led by Virat Kohli for the three-match Test tour of South Africa scheduled for January 2018. Ajinkya Rahane will be Virat’s deputy during the Tests in South Africa.

In surprise call , youngster Washington Sundar earned their maiden call-up for the T20 series that will be held on on December 20, 22 and 24 at Cuttack, Indore and Visakhapatnam respectively.

Team India have opted to go with five frontline pacer and two slow bowlers for the tough Test tour of the Proteas.
The three Tests will be played at Newlands, Cape Town (Jauary 5 to 9), Centurion (January 13-17) and The Wanderers, Johannesburg (January 24-28). Later, 2 teams will take on each other in 6 ODIs and 3 T20s, starting on 1st February that will go on till 24th February.

Pacer Jasprit Bumrah earned his major Test call-up, while Parthiv Patel was also included as a backup wicketkeeping option for Wriddhiman Saha. 24-year-old Hardik Pandya, who demanded rests for the Test series against Sri Lanka makes his comeback.

With the conditions in South Africa likely assist pacers, the selectors have decided to retain prime spin duo R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, leaving out Kuldeep Yadav.

The frontline pace attack will be lead by experienced Ishant Sharma along with Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar ,Mohammad Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah.