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He is an apt replacement for Ravindra Jadeja.

Ajinkya Rahane, who led India in three Tests in Australia af ter Kohli's departure, was named as the vice-captain. Expectedly, the selection panel retained youngster Shubhman Gill and Washington Sundar, rewarding them for their excellent per formance in Australia. Pacer Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur, whose all-round prowess helped India immensely in Brisbane, also kept their places along with Mayank Agarwal, who struggled for runs.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who missed the Brisbane Test due to back injury, has also been named in the line-up; he is expected to recover by the time England land in India. Wriddhiman Saha is the second wicket-keeper in the squad along with Rishabh Pant, whose gritty 89 not out shaped India's three-wicket win in Brisbane. The second Test will also be played in Chennai (February 13-17) while Ahmedabad will host the third (Feb 24-28) and the fourth Test (March 48). The four-Test series will be followed by a five-match T20 series and three-match ODI rubber that will conclude on March 28 in Pune.