The team has a few notable omissions.
The Test squad of India for the two-match series against the West Indies is pretty much on expected lines. Most players were automatic choices and rightly found a spot in the team.
However, the team still has a few notable omissions, which are certain in a vast talent pool. While some missed out due to bad form, others simply didn’t fit the combination.
We look at four notable omissions from the India squad for the West Indies series.
Karun Nair got the opportunity after eight years but failed to make an impact on the England tour. Collectively, he could only score 205 runs at an average of 25.62 in eight innings, including a solitary fifty.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar has clarified that the team expected more from him and that Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan deserve rewards for their performances in the domestic competition. This might be the end of the road for Nair, who would have liked to perform more in a fresh opportunity.
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Sarfaraz Khan is always a talking point whenever India’s Test squad is announced, given the amount of runs he scores in domestic tournaments. However, his exclusion from the team this time comes due to an injury.
He sustained a quadriceps injury in the Buchi Babu Tournament and has been out of action for a while. Ajit also confirmed the same in the press conference.
Akash Deep’s non-inclusion was a massive surprise since he is tailor-made for home conditions and would have been effective. His inclusion in the Irani Cup suggests he has recovered from a groin injury, which kept him out of action in recent months.
However, the selectors might want to check his fitness by drafting him to a domestic competition rather than directly including him in the national setup. He will likely be in the squad for the home South Africa series in November.
Arshdeep Singh is an interesting case in the Test setup, as he has been around the squad but doesn’t get to play. India had multiple chances to include him in the XI on the England tour, but opted for other options, such as Anshul Kamboj and Prasidh Krishna.
Now, he has been avoided for a home series when the management had an opportunity to check his utility at a time when fast-bowling resources are minimal. India should have rested Jasprit Bumrah or dropped Prasidh Krishna, who has been unimpressive against Australia A, and employed a left-arm pacer in Arshdeep.
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