Vijay, Rohit and Parthiv return; Hardik out of Australia Tests

INDIA TOUR OF AUSTRALIA 2018-19

Pandya, not fully fit yet, has been included in the India A squad for the one-dayers in New Zealand later this year. © crick247.blogspot.com

Hardik Pandya, having had to be stretchered off the field in the recently concluded Asia Cup, hasn't "fully recovered" and doesn't find a place in India's 18-man Test squad announced by BCCI for the 2018-19 Australia tour.

Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Parthiv Patel mark their comebacks while Mayank Agarwal and Mohammed Siraj, both of whom earned maiden Test call-ups during the Windies series, have been left out.

"Hardik Pandya has not yet recovered and will at least sit out till November 15," India chief selector MSK Prasad said on Friday (October 26). "It's very difficult to match Hardik's all-round ability. At least we don't see that kind of ability now in India. That's why no other alternatives were discussed. And we expect Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar] to come good; we know he can bat."

Pandya is a major blow, given how India intend to breed him into a bowling all-rounder so as to be able to play with four front-line bowlers. Although he has been included in the India A squad for the one-dayers in New Zealand later this year, the selectors have been cautious with Pandya, keeping in mind the World Cup that follows next year. His absence from Tests might open up a slot for Hanuma Vihari, who didn't feature in the two Tests against the Windies at home but can definitely bowl a bit of off-spin, as evidenced by three wickets he picked on debut. Rohit Sharma, too, might get his opportunity across the four Tests, but that would mean India playing only four bowlers - something ill-advised on flat tracks expected in Australia.

Both Parthiv Patel and Rohit Sharma last featured for India during the South Africa tour earlier this year. In the middle of Wriddhiman Saha's never-ending injury layoff, Patel finds a place in the squad in the capacity of a back-up wicketkeeper, with incumbent Rishabh Pant set to be the showstopper with the gloves, whereas Sharma's returns from the 2014-15 tour of Australia, which saw him promoted to the No. 4 spot at the cost of Cheteshwar Pujara, seems to have worked in his favour.

"With regard to Rohit, we felt that his nature of cricket - he's a very good backfoot player, and we felt that his game is much suited to play in Australia," Prasad said. "He [Parthiv] was not picked for the game against Afghanistan and also the England series, but subsequently he played the Duleep Trophy, he batted well and kept well. So, if you see the selection we've done for the whole team, it's a mixture of youth and experience, which we really wanted because it's going to be a high-intensity series, which is why we've fallen back on experience. The advantage of Parthiv is that he's a left hander and can bat at any order. When the team demanded, even with a fractured hand he opened the innings in South Africa."

Murali Vijay had an indifferent series against England and was dropped for the last two Tests on the tour - a period he put to good use playing for Essex, even hitting a century on his county debut. "Vijay had been dropped from England series," Prasad said. "He went back and played County, showed that intent and he performed. Considering the intensity of this series, we have considered him for the Australia series."

Vijay scored 482 runs [1 hundred, 4 fifties] on India's last tour of Australia, being one of the kingpins of their impressive showing with the bat, but will likely be a standby opener. KL Rahul and Prithvi Shaw look set to continue at the top - a combination India nurtured during the Windies series, which saw Shikhar Dhawan dropped. Mayank Agarwal, who could have been the standby opener in Vijay's absence, continues to be the forever bridesmaid and will be part of the India A squad to New Zealand later in the year.

The squad also finds Bhuvneshwar Kumar back in the fold, after last playing against South Africa in Johannesburg. The 28-year-old had to miss all five Tests in England owing to a lower back condition - something he had worsened by playing the third and final ODI in Headingley amidst much criticism.

Bhuvneshwar has played just the one Test in Australia so far, when he had replaced Ishant Sharma for the Sydney Test during the 2014-15 tour and returned figures of 1-168. Barring injuries, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami look certain starters for Adelaide but Bhuvneshwar's batting abilities make him indispensable too. The pace attack make-up is going to be very interesting - a rare problem of plenty for India - especially in the backdrop of how Umesh Yadav seems to have bowled himself into contention with an impressive showing against the Windies at home too.

Jasprit Bumrah and Ishant Sharma also return; the former coming off a Test cool-off and the latter from an injury following an arduous tour of England. The two shared a menacing new-ball partnership there, picking 18 wickets [5 Tests] and 14 wickets [3 Tests] respectively, and will look to resume the camaraderie with the Kookaburra ball down under.

That takes India's bowling squad to its full strength, featuring Bumrah, Shami, Ishant, Bhuvneshwar and Umesh. Surprisingly, there are three spinners in the squad: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav.

India will leave for Australia on November 16, four days after the culmination of the series against Windies, and will be playing one first-class warm-up game that starts on the November 28, after the three-match T20I series gets over. India lost the four-Test series 2-0 in 2014-15, but with two draws in Melbourne and Sydney to end the tour, and a more potent pace attack at their disposal - that's frequently been hailed as India's best ever - Virat Kohli and Co. look best equipped to exploit a vulnerable Australian side that will be without Steven Smith and David Warner.

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