India bring in Gill for Proteas series, Rohit to open with Rahul dropped

Shubman Gill has been given a maiden Test call-up and Rohit Sharma is set to open in the upcoming home series against South Africa after KL Rahul was dropped.

Chief selector MSK Prasad revealed that Rohit will move to the top of the order for the three Tests against the Proteas, with the first match getting under way at Visakhapatnam on October 2.

Rahul misses out after failing to make a half-century in the recent 2-0 whitewash of West Indies in the Caribbean.

Gill has been included in a 15-man party just four days after the opener turned 20, while fellow batsman Mayank Agarwal retains his place.

Prasad said of limited-overs opener Rohit being included: "Yes, we are definitely looking at him [as an opener], and we want to give him an opportunity,

"He is keen, and all of us in the selection committee are keen. We want to push him, and give him some opportunities up the order, and see where he stands, and then we will take a call.

"He has been opening in white-ball cricket for more than a decade [since 2013]. We feel he has the ability to bat up the order, we have seen that in white-ball cricket, and if he can do that in red-ball cricket, then nothing like it.

"We have a lot of practice matches coming up, which will be a boost to this side."

India squad for South Africa Test series: Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill.

Also see - Live cricket score