Pant earns maiden call-up to Test team

Leeds, July 18: Young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was on Wednesday named in the 18-member Indian squad for the first three Tests against England, but senior batsman Rohit Sharma was once again ignored for the five-day format.

The 20-year-old Pant has been named as the specialist wicketkeeper-batsman alongside Dinesh Karthik, who had played the team’s last Test against Afghanistan in the absence of an injured Wriddhiman Saha. Saha continues to be out nursing a thumb injury sustained during the IPL earlier this year.

Pacer Mohammad Shami, who was dropped from the one-off game against Afghanistan after failing the YoYo test, has regained full fitness and has made his way back for the five-match series starting August 1.

However, there is uncertainly over the participation of key pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the five-match series after he aggravated a “lower back condition” during the third ODI against England yesterday. “His condition is being assessed by the BCCI medical team and a call on his inclusion in the Test squad will be made soon,” said the BCCI in a statement. P

acer Jasprit Bumrah, who was unfit for the ODI series, will be available for selection from the second Test onwards, the statement added. The sole fresh face in the squad is Pant, who has finally been rewarded for his domestic performances, including the IPL.

The selectors, who picked the squad here, had the option of bringing back an in-form Rohit into the side but they went for infusing young blood instead. He averages 54.16 in 22 First-Class games with a triple century and India’s fastest hundred at that level to his name.

— PTI