BGT 2025: Shami's omission shocks as India announces Test squad for Australia tour
Xtra Time Web Desk: India has unveiled its squad for the highly anticipated five-Test tour of Australia, commencing on November 22, with exciting selections that include uncapped players Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The announcement marks a significant opportunity for these talented players to showcase their skills on an international stage.
The tour kicks off with a warm-up match against India A in Perth from November 15 to 17, allowing the team to acclimatize and fine-tune their strategies before facing the formidable Australian side. The first Test is scheduled to take place at Perth Stadium from November 22 to 26, setting the tone for a series that promises to be competitive.
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Squads for India’s tour of South Africa & Border-Gavaskar Trophy announced ????#TeamIndia | #SAvIND | #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Z4eTXlH3u0
Following the opener, the Indian squad will travel to Canberra for a tour match against the Prime Minister's XI on November 30 and December 1, which will serve as another valuable preparation opportunity. The tour then shifts to Adelaide for the second Test, a much-anticipated day-night fixture from December 6 to 10.
The excitement continues as the third Test is set for Brisbane from December 14 to 18, leading into the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, starting December 26. The series concludes with the New Year’s Test in Sydney from January 3.
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India enters the series as the reigning holders of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having triumphed in their last two tours of Australia with a 2-1 margin in both 2018-19 and 2020-21. With a strong squad that includes the likes of captain Rohit Sharma, vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah, and batting stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, the team is poised to challenge for supremacy once again.
Kuldeep Yadav was also unavailable for selection for the tour of Australia since he has been referred to The BCCI Centre of Excellence after the end of the ongoing Test series against New Zealand for long term resolution of his chronic left groin issue.
India squad for tour of Australia
Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar
Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
