India’s Yadav, Pant called up for England Test series

LEEDS: India left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav has been included in an 18-man squad announced Wednesday for the first three Tests of their series in England after impressing in recent limited overs matches.

The 23-year-old took five wickets in the opening Twenty20 international and then returned superb figures of six for 25 — the best by any spinner against England in a one-day international —- in an eight-wicket win in the opening ODI at Trent Bridge last week before the hosts bounced back to win a three-match contest 2-1. Rishabh Pant has also received a maiden call-up to the India Test squad with Dinesh Karthik featuring as the first-choice wicket-keeper in the 18-man line-up for the first three Tests against England. Virat Kohli returns to captain the India Test team after missing the one-off against Afghanistan in June due to a neck injury while Wriddhiman Saha continues to miss out owing to a thumb injury sustained during the IPL. Kuldeep has made just two career Test appearances to date, the last against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in August 2017.

India have tended to deploy the experienced pair of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and left-arm orthodox Ravindra Jadeja as their specialist slow bowlers in recent Test matches. But Kuldeep, speaking after his one-day haul at Trent Bridge — the venue for the third Test — said: “Talking about Test cricket, I am hoping for the call and let’s see what happens in a couple of days when they announce the Test team.”

India’s squad for the first three Tests against England: Virat Kohli (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Ravinchandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur.