Mohammed Shami to miss the start of India’s series against England
Mohammed Shami has not been named in the squad for the first two Test matches of the series
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.India have named four spinners in their squad for the first two Tests of their forthcoming series against England, but experienced seamer Mohammed Shami is not yet fit to take part.
Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav did not travel to South Africa for the recent Test series against the Proteas but come back into contention on home pitches that are expected to take lavish turn.
They join Ravichandran Ashwin and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in a 16-man party that will contest the opening games of the five-match series in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam.
Last time England toured Indian in 2021 they crumbled in the face of extreme turn as Ashwin and Patel combined to take 60 wickets.
Uncapped wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel is one of three glovemen named by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, joining KL Rahul and KS Bharat, with Ishan Kishan still out after missing the recent South Africa tour for personal reasons.
Shami is currently recovering from an ankle problem and hopes to feature later in the five-match series, which begins in Hyderabad on January 25, while fellow pace bowler Prasidh Krishna (quad) is also out.
Rohit Sharma continues to lead the side, assisted by vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah.
India squad for first two Tests against England: R Sharma (c), S Gill, Y Jaiswal, V Kohli, S Iyer, KL Rahul, KS Bharat, D Patel, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, A Patel, K Yadav, M Siraj, M Kumar, J Bumrah, A Khan.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments