MUMBAI: Upcoming batsman K L Rahul and leg-spinner Karn Sharma were on Monday named in India’s 19-member Test squad for the tour of Australia, where skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will skip the opening match owing to an injury.
Suresh Raina staged a comeback into the Test fold while Wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha also found a place in the squad announced by BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel after a meeting of the selection committee here.
Dhoni, who is nursing a forearm injury which he picked up during the truncated series against West Indies, has been ruled out of the first Test in Brisbane (December 4 to 8) and Virat Kohli will lead the team in this match.
“Virat Kohli will lead India in the first Test, starting on 4 December 2014, in Brisbane. M S Dhoni has been rested for the first Test as a prophylactic measure to ensure optimum recovery. He will join the team from the second Test onwards, and will lead the team for the rest of the Test series,” Patel said in a statement.
The selectors also announced the team for the last two ODIs against Sri Lanka to be held in Kolkata (November 13) and Ranchi (November 16).
In-form batsman Shikhar Dhawan and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja have been rested, while Wriddhiman has been dropped from the squad. Rohit Sharma made a comeback in place of Dhawan, while Robin Uthappa also returned to the side at the expense of Saha.
Injured pacer Ishant Sharma has been left out of the ODI team for the last two matches with his place going to Vinay Kumar.
Squads:
Team for Australia Tests: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, R Ashwin, Karn Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron.
Team for last 2 ODIs against Sri Lanka: Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa, Axar Patel, Karn Sharma, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Stuart Binny, Vinay Kumar, Kedar Jadhav. –PTI
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