India vs England: Pant earns maiden call-up to Indian 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, while pacer Mohammad Shami made an expected comeback to the side.

Pant has been named as the specialist wicketkeeper-batsman alongside Dinesh Karthik, who had played the team’s last Test against Afghanistan.

Shami, who was dropped from the Afghanistan game after failing the fitness test, has made his way back.

However, there is uncertainty over the participation of pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the five-match series as he has aggravated a lower back injury during the third ODI against England yesterday. 

Jasprit Bumrah, who was unfit for the ODI series, will be available for selection from the second Test onwards.

The first Test starts in Birmingham on August 1.

India’s squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, M Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Karun Nair, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur. PTI