India will go into their upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand with an unchanged squad from their recent series against Bangladesh, with key pacer Mohammed Shami still recovering from an ankle injury. The series, starting on October 16 in Bengaluru, marks India’s final red-ball action ahead of the high-stakes five-Test series in Australia later this year.
Mohammed Shami’s Recovery Still Ongoing
Shami, who had been expected to return to full fitness during India’s ongoing home season, has not yet recovered in time for the New Zealand series. The fast bowler underwent surgery to repair his ankle injury and has not played a competitive match since the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November 2023. His absence leaves India without a crucial bowler ahead of their crucial Australian tour, where they will look to defend their top position in the World Test Championship (WTC) standings.
Jasprit Bumrah Appointed Vice-Captain
In a notable development, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been named India’s vice-captain for the upcoming series against New Zealand. This decision comes as a major focus shifts to India’s leadership roles, with Rohit Sharma’s availability for the first Test against Australia in doubt due to some personal reasons.
Bumrah has previously held the vice-captaincy during India’s two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022 and the two-Test tour of South Africa earlier this year. He also captained India in the one-off Test against England in 2022 when Rohit Sharma tested positive for Covid-19 and was unable to play.
As the vice-captain for this series, Bumrah will be expected to take up a key leadership role in the absence of Shami, while also spearheading India’s bowling attack alongside the likes of Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav.
India’s Squad for the New Zealand Series
India’s Test squad for the series against New Zealand is as follows:
– Rohit Sharma (captain)
– Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain)
– Yashasvi Jaiswal
– Shubman Gill
– Virat Kohli
– KL Rahul
– Sarfaraz Khan
– Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
– Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper)
– Ravindra Jadeja
– Ravichandran Ashwin
– Axar Patel
– Kuldeep Yadav
– Mohammed Siraj
– Akash Deep
Travelling reserves
– Harshit Rana
– Nitish Kumar Reddy
– Mayank Yadav
– Prasidh Krishna
New Zealand Series and WTC Implications
India will host New Zealand for three Test matches, with the first set to begin in Bengaluru on October 16, followed by matches in Pune and Mumbai. India, currently atop the World Test Championship (WTC) points table with 74.24 percentage points from 11 Test matches, is aiming to secure their spot in the WTC final. To achieve this, they will likely need to win at least five of their remaining eight Tests, which includes the New Zealand series at home and the five-Test tour of Australia.
New Zealand, however, will be without their star batsman Kane Williamson, who is struggling with a groin injury, creating additional challenges for the visitors. India, who are well-positioned to clinch a place in the WTC final, will look to capitalize on home conditions and build momentum ahead of their challenging tour Down Under.