IND vs NZ 2021: 3 players who were lucky to be picked in India's Test squad
As Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami have been rested, several fringe India players have found a place in the country's squad for the upcoming two-Test series against New Zealand.
Uncapped Test cricketers like Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat and Shreyas Iyer are part of the contingent. On the flip side, talented players like Hanuma Vihari and Prithvi Shaw missed out on the New Zealand series and were instead named in the India 'A' squad for their South Africa tour.
India’s Test squad for the New Zealand series: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Virat Kohli (only for second Test)
Here are three Indian players who were slightly fortunate - either due to their competitors missing out, or despite a lack of form, or both - to be named in the squad for the New Zealand Test series.
#3 Jayant Yadav
Jayant Yadav's Test career has been something of an anomaly. He played four Tests for India in the 2016-17 season, returning a decent haul of 11 wickets and 228 runs. The all-rounder even recorded a Test century, kindling hope that he might make himself a regular member of the side.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin's stranglehold over the off-spinner's role in Test cricket has relegated Jayant to first-class cricket, with the odd call-up as an injury replacement being his only involvement with the national side. Now, the 31-year-old has been named in India's squad for the New Zealand series, but several factors went into his selection.
The primary reason is that Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav have been ruled out with injuries, although it must be said that there has been no official word on the same. Jayant, at 31, doesn't have too many years of top-level cricket left in him. At the domestic level, others like Jalaj Saxena and Krishnappa Gowtham have arguably come up with better performances as far as off-spinners go.
Jayant is not expected to play against New Zealand, with India's spin trio of Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel well ahead of him in the pecking order. But he was perhaps a touch fortunate to be called up to the squad in the first place.
#2 Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha has lost his regular spot in India's Test side to young Rishabh Pant, but the veteran is reportedly set to be the country's first-choice gloveman against New Zealand. An extraordinary wicket-keeper who has failed to live up to his promise in front of the stumps, Saha is an asset in home conditions. But shouldn't India be looking to the future?
Saha is now 37 years old and has averaged an abysmal 13.57 in the seven Tests he has played since the start of 2018. The wicket-keeper is also highly injury-prone, having suffered from a variety of ailments across tournaments and formats over the last few years.
KS Bharat has been knocking down the Test door for a while now, with others like Sheldon Jackson consistently piling on runs in domestic cricket. Saha's time with the Indian team is fast running out, and it should've arguably already run out.
#1 Ajinkya Rahane
It might seem strange to suggest that India's captain for the New Zealand Test series was fortunate to find a place in the side, but Ajinkya Rahane has been a major disappointment over the last few years. Barring the odd knock, such as his incredible Melbourne hundred against Australia, Rahane has been a sitting duck against both pace and spin in the middle order.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma being rested might've been the only things that forced the selectors into picking Rahane, whose weaknesses in home conditions have been exposed multiple times in the recent past. The 33-year-old has averaged only 34.46 in 35 Tests since the start of 2018, with only three hundreds to show for. In 2021, over the course of four home Tests, he has scored only 112 runs at an average of 18.66.
India might soon look to groom youngsters like Shreyas Iyer to take over the mantle in the middle order. Shubman Gill is also reportedly set to undertake a new middle-order role, and unless Rahane can produce something extraordinary, we may not see any more fortunate call-ups for India's Test veteran.