New Delhi: For less than a few months with England’s test tour, the Cricket Board of India (BCCI) has read a five-observer chain and a pool of players for the preceding. India ‘A’ TourToi has learned that India is in a shortlist of about 35 players to divide between Rohit Sharma (PIC) and the test teams. While there is speculation about Rohit’s place in the Test team, it seems that the selectors and the board are still not sure whether the team is ready to move forward as a captain on such an important tour.
The board has already started arrangements for travel plans. The selectors are expected to select teams by the second week of May. One of the major areas of concern is looking for a stable middle-order test batsman at number 5 or 6. It turns out that the selectors are looking at the silver Patidar and Karun Nair To fill the zero. Both can be tried in India’s ‘A’ series, which begins within a week of the IPL ending on May 25. Interestingly, Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel have not yet been included in the shortlist.
“Rohit is most likely to travel because the board feels that someone needs a strong captain through a series, which is likely to be difficult to visit Australia. Regarding the middle-order, the team management has shown very little confidence in Sarfaraz Khan’s ability. Nair and Patidar have dropped the players and the red-ball has dropped the players and it is at least one in the ‘A’. The third opener is considered to be for the batsman.
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Another important name in the list is Kuldeep Yadav. Kuldeep has been out of favor for some time for foreign trials. With the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin during the Australia tour, the selectors can be wooed to choose Kuldeep, which offers an attacker spin option.
Who is that IPL player?
In any case, the selectors are going to carry a good number of travel reserves, which will include backup pacers for roughly detected Bumrah and Mohammad Shami, in addition to asymmetric spinners. The selectors are concerned about Mohammad Siraj who do not step into the main pacer in the absence of Bumra and Shami.
Some of the regular testing players can be asked to get some sports time with the India ‘A’ team in one of the three first class sports.
