Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey, and lanky pacer Gurnoor Brar have received their first call-ups to India’s squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh from June 6-10. The 15-member squad, led by Shubman Gill with KL Rahul as vice-captain, was revealed by Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia. Brar, Suthar, and Dubey, who have excelled in domestic cricket, have been regulars in India ‘A’ team.
Apart from Gill, Rahul, and Pant, the batting lineup comprises Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Dhruv Jurel. With Ravindra Jadeja rested, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar will manage the spin bowling duties. Chief selector Agarkar mentioned in a virtual press conference that Jadeja’s rest is to provide opportunities to other players for this Test match.
The selection of Suthar and Dubey underlines the selectors’ aim to enhance India’s spin bowling options in red-ball cricket. In the pace department, Mohammed Siraj will spearhead the attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, supported by Prasidh Krishna and Brar. This Test match against Afghanistan holds significance for India’s red-ball commitments, preceding upcoming tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
India and Afghanistan have previously played only one Test match, resulting in a victory for India at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2018. The game ended in just two days, with India triumphing by an innings and 262 runs.
