The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian squad for the first two Test matches against England. The majority of the 16-man selection was on the predicted lines, except for one slot, that of an additional batter, which went to uncapped young player Dhruv Jurel. The selectors selected the 22-year-old Jurel, who has batting credentials in the middle order and the extra benefit of being a wicketkeeper. However, Jurel’s presence in the squad meant that Ishan Kishan might still be on a break.

The five-match Test series begins in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25, with the second game to be played in Vizag on Friday, February 2. There were a couple of changes in the bowling department. All-rounder Axar Patel, the England batter’s nemesis in 2021, and Kuldeep Yadav have returned to the Test squad after missing out on selection in South Africa, as was expected given the pitch conditions in India.

Even though it is a home series, the selectors may have considered someone like Sarfaraz Khan or Abhimanyu Easwaran, but both would have to wait. Easwaran’s exclusion from the squad was an unfortunate one. Apart from him, Shardul Thakur has been left out, while pacer Prasidh Krishna who made his debut in the South Africa series has also been omitted.

Both the pacers failed to perform well against the Proteas. Avesh Khan has been retained in the squad. Senior pacer Mohammed Shami remains sidelined due to injury concerns. Team India will eye to beat England and clinch the series so that they can move forward in the WTC rankings.