Xtra Time Web Desk: The All India Senior Selection Committee has picked the Indian squad for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship final and England series. The selectors have picked a strong 20 member squad. The find of the Australia tour T Natarajan has missed the cut as he is still undergoing a rehab. The left arm medium pacer from Salem recently underwent a surgery on his knee. All rounder Hardik Pandya too failed to get selected in the 20 member squad. KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha has been included in the side but both will have to pass the fitness test organized by BCCI
The squad has four openers in Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul. The middle order comprises of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari and Ravindra Jadeja. Ravichandran Ashwin, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel are the three specialist spinners in the side. The pace bowling contingent includes the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Umesh Yadav.
Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan and Arzan Nagwaswalla are kept as standby.
Team India’s first stop will be in Southampton where they play New Zealand to decide the first champion of the Test format. Following their 3-1 win against England at home, India finished as the No. 1 side with 72.2 percentage points and booked their place in the final.
India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).
Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla