Six Players who missed out on selection for India’s marquee England tour

The BCCI on Friday (May 7) announced India’s squad for the forthcoming tour of the UK, where Virat Kohli’s men will play the World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the five-Test series versus England.

Keeping in mind the length of the assignment and stringent health safety restrictions and travelling regulations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the selectors, in discussion with the team management, chose an enlarged Indian Test squad.

The Chetan Sharma led senior India men’s selection panel picked multiple back-ups across departments and also appointed a few standbys to ensure the team isn’t short of required personnel at any stage of their England sojourn.

While the selectors made a good feast of the matter, social media still went into a frenzy the moment India’s Test squad was out, with debates around some of the absentees, who people felt should’ve also made the squad.

Due to various reasons, these players had some strength to their claim of potentially making the England trip but still had to taste disappointment on the day of the selection.

Also Read: 8-Day India Bubble, 10-Day UK Quarantine Part Of BCCI’s Plan For WTC Final, England Tests

Players who missed out on selection for India’s marquee England tour

1. Prithvi Shaw

Two poor dismissals in Adelaide and fresh question marks over his technique ended Prithvi Shaw’s tour of Australia. He was soon also left out of the squad for the home Test series versus England. But since his return from Down Under, Shaw has been a batsman rejuvenated with outstanding performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai and then in IPL 2021 for Delhi Capitals (DC).

Also Read:  This does seem like the end of Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s Test career

More importantly, Shaw has shown better technical acumen at the crease in the last few months. While doubts still linger on Shaw the Test match batsman, especially in overseas conditions, many feel the youngster deserves another chance and should’ve also been part of the squad for the UK tour.

2. Kuldeep Yadav

Wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav’s axing from the Test squad was one of the major talking points following the selectors’ announcement. Kuldeep has been dumped altogether after enduring a sustained period on the benches in the last two years. It comes as a major setback for a player, who hasn’t also been a first-choice pick in India’s limited-overs set up for a while now.

Kuldeep’s decline and ouster from the squad are quite saddening, given his talent and promise at the highest level. The young spinner has taken 26 wickets from his 7 Tests for India at an average of 23.85 and could’ve been part of the spin department for India’s bumper UK tour.

3. Hardik Pandya

Hardik Pandya’s absence from the squad that was named on Friday is a sign that India are beginning to give up on the idea of him as their premier Test all-rounder. Hardik hasn’t made the Test playing XI since August 2018, as his back issues and other injuries have kept him out of the reckoning.

Also Read: All you need to know about Arzan Nagwaswalla

In an ideal world, Hardik would’ve been providing India’s Test XI the kind of balance and depth a Ben Stokes does for England. But with him unable to bowl on a regular basis and vulnerable of breaking down, the selectors have pragmatically looked to prolong his career by prioritising the white-ball formats in Hardik’s case.

4. KS Bharat

Even though Rishabh Pant and Wriddhiman Saha are part of India’s England-bound squad, there was a case to be made for KS Bharat’s inclusion as the third gloveman given the nature of the assignment.

Bharat boasts of a very good first-class record and has been on the fringes of the Test squad for a while now. The 27-year-old from Andhra has played 78 first-class games with 4, 283 runs at a fine average of 37.24. He is considered one of the safest glovemen in the country.

5. Priyank Panchal

Panchal, one of the finest domestic performers from the last decade, was among the standbys named for India’s home Test series versus England in February-March. But the veteran Gujarat right-hand batsman found no favours for the UK tour, with the selectors looking past him in the opening batsmen’s category.

Panchal, 31, has now played 98 first-class matches with 6,891 runs at an average of 45.63, including 24 centuries. In the last few seasons, Panchal has only taken his game to another level, for which the decision-makers have rewarded him India A selection. But a debut in the Indian Test shirt remains elusive.

6. Jaydev Unadkat

One of the names that did the rounds on Twitter following the announcement of India’s Test squad was that of Jaydev Unadkat. An experienced left-arm seamer from Saurashtra, Unadkat has been fantastic at the domestic first-class level in the last few seasons.

Unadkat bagged 67 wickets from his 10 matches at a jaw-dropping average of 13.24 in the previous edition of the Ranji Trophy back in the 2019-20 winter. He led from the front as captain and took Saurashtra to their maiden Ranji Trophy title.

Unadkat made his Test debut for India in accidental circumstances when he filled in for an injured Zaheer Khan in the 2010 Centurion Test. The paceman is so much better a cricketer than the one India left out a decade back. Unadkat could’ve been brought back as one of the pacers for the long England tour.