Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal, who last played for India in Tests in Australia in November last year, is in line for a recall for the upcoming home series against the West Indies next month. India’s squad for the two-match series in Ahmedabad and Delhi is likely to be announced on September 24.
Karnataka and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Devdutt Padikkal will likely earn a Test recall for the home series against the West Indies, set to kick off on October 2 in Ahmedabad. Padikkal, who has played just two Test matches for India, one each against England (home) and Australia (away), scored a half-century in the Duleep Trophy and slammed a magnificent 150 for India A in the first India A Test and is reportedly ahead of his competition in the race to bag the middle-order role in the Test side.
As per Cricbuzz, Karun Nair, who earned a recall into the Test team on the back of a monstrous domestic season for Vidarbha across formats, didn’t have the best of times in England, scoring 205 runs in eight innings, with an average of 25.6, while going past the fifty-mark just once. Nair had famously sought a second chance for himself and cricket indeed gave him, but as per the report, the 33-year-old wasn’t able to make the most of it and the selection committee might be in favour of moving on from him.
As per the Indian Express, Sarfaraz Khan, another high-volume scorer in domestic cricket, is unlikely to be considered for the West Indies series and the decision on Abhimanyu Easwaran is yet to be taken. However, with Easwaran getting rested for the second India A Test, it seems like the Bengal opener,ย too, was coming to the end of his time being around the team, having not made his debut yet.
Padikkal scored a fifty on his Test debut against England at home and has since transformed himself into a middle-order player in red-ball cricket. Sai Sudharsan is likely to get an extended run at number three, while Dhruv Jurel will be part of the middle-order as the designated wicketkeeper in place of Rishabh Pant, followed by the all-rounders.
On the other hand, among pace bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah is likely to be rested for the first Test in Ahmedabad, with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna set to take the red cherry in the opening game.
The two-match Test series will kick off in Ahmedabad on October 2, followed by the second and the final Test in Delhi from October 10.
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