Updated: 6 days ago
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: A lot of new names added to the Team India squad ahead of Australia tour. Mohammed Shami’s exclusion is the biggest worry for India?
Team India’s squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-2025 has been announced. The Men in Blue will play five Tests against Australia Down Under. The series is important as it will decide India’s fate in the 2023-2025 World Test Championship final. Here is an analysis of the squad that is set to tour Australia.
Notable omissions – Shami, Thakur
Mohammed Shami has not been included in the squad as he is yet to regain full fitness after he underwent an ankle surgery. Shami was recently seen bowling but was heavily padded around the knees post the Bengaluru Test against New Zealand. However, the selectors are not rushing an under-cooked Shami who is yet to play any professional cricket since the 2023 World Cup final loss to Australia.
Another important omission is Shardul Thakur who could have come in handy in Australia with his all-round skills. In the Brisbane Test against Australia in 2021, Thakur took 7 wickets and scored a fifty to help India win the series. Thakur’s current form (85 runs and 6 wickets in last 3 First-Class matches) has not been inspiring, but he is known to raise games in crunch times and do his bit with both bat and ball.
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Key additions: Reddy, Rana, Krishna, Easwaran & Sundar
India have made a few additions to the squad. They are Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Abhimanyu Easwaran and Washington Sundar. Reddy has been roped in as a seam bowling all-rounder after his impressive show with both bat and ball in the 3-0 T20I series win over Bangladesh recently. Reddy is already in Australia for India A’s series against Australia A.
The selectors have also opted to add two new pacers in Rana and Krishna to the arsenal led by Jasprit Bumrah along with Mohammed Siraj. Akash Deep is likely to be the third seamer in the XI. However, Krishna’s ability to hit the deck hard and get bounce will help him get a chance in the XI quicker than expected. Rana, who came to the fore with his exploits in IPL 2024, has been in good form recently, taking two four-wicket hauls for India D in the Duleep Trophy. He has played nine First-Class matches taking 36 wickets so far.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, who has been in the pipeline for quite some time, has been drafted in the squad as a reserve opener. With Rohit Sharma reportedly being unavailable for the first Test due to personal reasons, Easwaran is set to open the innings with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Easwaran is coming off an impressive show in domestic cricket recently, scoring 1053 runs at an average of 81.00, with 5 tons and 3 fifties in 10 First-Class games in 2024 so far.
Washington Sundar made a great comeback to Test cricket, bagging a 10-wicket haul in the Pune Test against New Zealand. As Kuldeep Yadav is injured, Sundar is an automatic choice to replace him in the squad Down Under. Besides, Sundar can play as a specialist batter as well if needed, while either Ravindra Jadeja or Ravichandran Ashwin plays the lone spinner’s role.
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Injured Kuldeep out
Kuldeep Yadav has been left out of the squad as he is unavailable due to a “chronic left groin issue”. It was this injury that prompted India’s thinktank to include Sundar for the second Test against New Zealand. Kuldeep’s absence would be felt as the Chinaman bowler has the ability to pick up wickets on pitches not conducive for spin bowling.
India’s chances in Australia
India have won their last two Test series Down Under. But this time, India’s batting and bowling is in transition with a few fresh faces in both departments. There is no Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane this time around. The star batters Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul are in patchy form. The pace bowling department is heavily dependent on Bumrah. With Siraj not in great form either, India would depend heavily on the young pace bowling department comprising Rana, Krishna, and Deep.
However, India are known to raise their game when the chips are down. In the last two Test series Down Under, they have shown great fightback to beat Australia in their own den. If India play to their potential, they have the skills to out-bat and out-bowl Australia Down Under.
Team India Squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.
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