The Indian Test squad will be in action against the Sri Lankan cricket team in a home series soon. This 2-match series will be part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle. One Test will happen in Mohali, while the second game is a day/night fixture in Bengaluru.
Rohit Sharma will lead the Indian Test squad for the first time in his career. Senior players Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are not part of the squad. While India have options for Rahane’s replacement, namely Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari, it will be interesting to see who replaces Pujara at number three. Here is the Indian Test squad for the Sri Lanka series.
1. KS Bharat – Backup wicket-keeper in Indian Test squad
KS Bharat has proven himself as a reliable wicket-keeping option in Test cricket. He came to keep the wickets as a substitute during the home series against New Zealand cricket team and wowed the fans with his glove work behind the stumps.
Bharat has scored heaps of runs in domestic cricket and also done well for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. Thus, he can be tried at the number three position.
2. Shubman Gill
Mayank Agarwal and Rohit Sharma are likely to open the innings with Priyank Panchal being the backup. When KL Rahul comes back to the Indian Test squad, he will also challenge for the opening spot. Thus, it will be good if India uses Shubman Gill in the number three position.
Gill has shown that he can be a match-winner for the country in the Test format. Giving him the chance to bat at number three in a home series could prove to be a good experiment.
