India Test Squad New Zealand series: Rahane to lead; Pant, Bumrah, Shami rested; Vihari dropped, Shreyas in

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Mumbai, November 12: Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in the first of the two-match Test series against New Zealand, the BCCI announced on Friday (November 12).

It was on cards as Virat Kohli was rested for the T20I series as well for the opening Test at Kanpur starting on November 25. Kohli will rejoin the squad for the second Test, starting in Mumbai on December 3.

Rohit Sharma was named captain of the T20I squad against New Zealand and he could led in the first Test too but the Mumbaikar had asked for rest for the Test series against New Zealand. Rohit will now return for the away series against South Africa in December.

Hanuma Vihari has not been included in the squad as the selectors opted for Shreyas Iyer, who made a return to the Test side after a couple of years gap. Cheteshwar Pujara is the vice-captain of the side.

The selectors also rested frontline pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. India pace attack will be manned by Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohmmad Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.

Meanwhile the bigwigs also gave a rest to wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant and the duties will be done by veteran Wriddhiman Saha in the series against New Zealand. Andhra youngster KS Bharat has been included as the reserve wicketkeeper.

But the selectors gave optimum importance to experience in the spin department as they drafted in all premier tweakers in R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jayanat Yadav. In all likelihood, India will field three spinners and they could be Ashwin, Axar and Jadeja the combine that did the duty against England at home earlier this year.

India’s Test squad: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, R. Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna