Rohit Sharma was one of the notable exclusions from India’s Test squad for the first three Tests of their five-match series against England starting August 1.

India’s selection panel met in Leeds, the venue for England’s eight-wicket win in the third and deciding ODI at Headingley on Wednesday, to pick the Test squad.

The selectors had the option of bringing back an in-form Rohit into the side but they chose otherwise.

Young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was named in the 18-member squad, alongside Dinesh Karthik, who had played the team’s last Test against Afghanistan in the absence of an injured Wriddhiman Saha. Saha continues to be out nursing a thumb injury sustained during the IPL earlier this year.

Advertisement

Pacer Mohammad Shami, who was dropped from the one-off game against Afghanistan after failing the Yo-Yo test, has regained full fitness and has made his way back for the five-match series.

However, there is uncertainly over the participation of key pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the five-match series after he aggravated a “lower back condition” during the third ODI against England.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been included in an 18-man squad after impressing in recent limited overs matches.

Advertisement

India have tended to deploy the experienced pair of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm orthodox Ravindra Jadeja as their specialist slow bowlers in recent Test matches, with the former getting the nod in South Africa.

Kuldeep took five wickets in the opening Twenty20 international and then returned superb figures of six for 25 – the best by any spinner against England in a one-day international – in an eight-wicket win in the opening ODI at Trent Bridge last week before the hosts bounced back to win a three-match contest 2-1.

But Rohit Sharma’s exclusion still received the most attention on Twitter.

With inputs from PTI and AFP