India is determined to rebound from its recent home Test series defeat, marking the first time in 12 years it has lost at home, this setback occurred against New Zealand. The team aims to solidify its chances of qualifying for the World Test Championship final in 2025, needing to secure four wins out of the six remaining matches in this WTC cycle. Additionally, India seeks to extend its success in Australia, having won the last two Test series there with 2-1 victories in both the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons.
Among the squad selections, three uncapped players have been included: opening batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran, all-rounder Nitish Reddy, and pacer Harshit Rana. The absence of pacer Mohammed Shami is notable, as he continues his recovery process. The remaining lineup features notable players like young batting talents Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill, alongside veteran Virat Kohli, who boasts an impressive average of 54.08 over 13 Tests played in Australia.
Lokesh Rahul has been included despite struggling with inconsistent performances, while Sarfaraz Khan joins the squad following a remarkable 150-run performance against New Zealand in Bengaluru. Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel are designated keeper-batsmen, with Pant remembered for his pivotal role in India’s last series victory in Australia, where he played a match-winning innings at the Gabba, the venue for the third Test.
The spin department includes three players: Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar, the latter having taken 11 wickets in the second Test against New Zealand. However, Kuldeep Yadav has been omitted from the lineup due to a chronic groin issue that requires treatment at home.
Shami’s exclusion is significant as he has not fully recovered from an Achilles injury sustained post-2023 Cricket World Cup. Despite declaring himself fit and sharing videos of his practice sessions, he was overlooked by the selectors for this initial squad. However, should he participate in domestic matches in November, his inclusion in the Indian setup for the third Test remains a possibility.
Adelaide is slated to host the second Test, a day-night match, with preparations including a two-day day-night practice match before the Adelaide fixture. As part of the squad preparations, three additional pace reserves have been named: Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, and Navdeep Saini.
This series marks a historic moment, as it will be the first five-Test series hosted in Australia against India since the 1991-92 season, establishing a potential regular format for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy moving forward. Melbourne and Sydney will host the traditional Boxing Day and New Year Tests, respectively.
Additionally, India has announced its T20 squad for an upcoming series in South Africa that starts on November 8. Suryakumar Yadav takes the helm as captain once again, though key players like all-rounder Shivam Dube, batter Riyan Parag, and pacer Mayank Yadav will be absent due to injuries.
The T20 series will take place across four venues: Durban, Gquberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg, concluding on November 15.
India’s playing squad for the Australia Tests includes: Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.
India’s T20 lineup for the South Africa series comprises: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.