New Delhi : India head coach Gautam Gambhir shared insights on the selection of Harshit Rana, and said the pacer has done enough bowling to come out fresh against the Aussies in the upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy.
"He's had enough bowling. Important for a fast bowler to be fresh. It's a five-Test series, so trainers and physios thought he is better off," Gambhir explained. Gambhir also praised Nitish Kumar Reddy, highlighting his potential to contribute to the team if given the opportunity.
"Nitish Reddy, we all know how incredibly talented he is. If given a chance, he will do well for the team. This is the best set of players we have selected to do the job for the country," he stated. Harshit Rana and Nitish Reddy, are two uncapped selections in India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, who are coming riding on a strong performance in the domestic circuit.
Following India's shambolic fall against New Zealand on home turf, the road to the WTC final has become a tricky affair. With a 3-0 series whitewash, India need to win the series by 4-0 to punch their ticket to feature in London for the WTC final for the third successive time.
After the conclusion series opener in Perth, the second Test, featuring the day-night format, will take place under lights at Adelaide Oval from December 6 to 10. Fans will then turn their attention to The Gabba in Brisbane for the third Test from December 14 to 18.
The traditional Boxing Day Test, scheduled from December 26 to 30 at Melbourne's iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, will mark the series' penultimate stage.The fifth and final Test will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7, promising an exciting climax to a highly anticipated series.
India's squad for Border-Gavaskar Series: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammad Shami, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant (wk), KL Rahul, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar.
Australia squad for the first Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc.