After the humiliating defeat against Australia in the World Test Championship final, the Indian selectors and team management would select new test players for the next WTC Cycle starting against West Indies as the many Indian veterans were likely to be removed from the team after their poor performance in the massive final and selectors would look manage the workload of certain players which can certainly help few faces into the Indian test team.
The Indian players were selected into the different formats usually based on their performance in the cash-rich league, as the importance of domestic cricket was reduced drastically as the players form on the IPL as it would be a good move to select the players depending on each format as it can give success to India in forthcoming ICC events
Here is a look at the Indian Test Squad and if they were selected based on the Formats.
1. Openers – Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal
Shubman Gill has been in terrific form, since the start of 2023, as he smashed hundreds in all three formats of the game including one against Australia in the final game of BGT 2023.
The youngster has shown excellent temperament in limited opportunity as the test has an opener and will first be the choice opener in the team alongside Rohit Sharma, though the Indian skipper hasn’t been in form for some time, he has developed himself as a very good opener in test cricket, scoring runs in difficult conditions.
Mayank Agarwal has fallen the pecking order in India’s Test side but the Karnataka batter played exceptionally well in Ranji Trophy 2022-23 scoring 990 runs in just 13 innings for Karnataka at a brilliant average of 82.5. With this performance, Agarwal has a chance of earning a recall shortly.
2. Middle Order Batters – Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, And Sarfaraz Khan
Virat Kohli looked at an exceptional touch on the fourth day of the historic test in Kennington, Oval, but could not finish the game for his side, he can invaluable asset for the Indian team in the next cycle of the World Test Championship.
Ajinkya Rahane made a comeback to the side after being dropped for his underwhelming performances for the Indian team in 2021-22. The Indian veteran batted beautifully in tough Oval conditions, being the top scorer for India in the recently-held Test, he will look to do well in the forthcoming series.
Shreyas Iyer and Sarfaraz Khan can provide the perfect balance to the side, as the KKR Skipper performed for the team very well in Subcontinental wickets scoring some crucial runs including match-winning knocks against Bangladesh before the BGT 2023 and Sarfaraz Khan has been one of the consistent performers for Mumbai, as he has scored a staggering 2970 runs from 26 matches (12 centuries, seven half-centuries) at an average of 106.07.
3. Wicket-Keepers – Rishabh Pant And KS Bharat
Once Rishabh Pant returns from the long-standing injury he would be the primary keeper for the Indian team going forward, as the Southpaw has shown tremendous ability in longer formats of the game taking on high-quality bowlers all over the world and has been one of India’s best batter in the red-ball since his debut in 2018 in England.
KS Bharat can retain his spot in the team, as he kept wickets very well in tough England conditions, though he could make an impact with the bat. The Andhra wicket-keeper would look to improve his batting skills to make a mark in the longer format of the game.
4. All Rounders – Shardul Thakur, Ravindra Jadeja, And Ravichandran Ashwin
Shardul Thakur has once proved his worth in the England conditions, as he batted well against the formidable Australian attack to bat the team out of trouble in the 1st innings, but the Indian pacer could not make an impact with the ball as he looked little off-colour on his bowling.
World No.1 Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would be Indian spinners in the team, as they should prove over the years to perform consistently for the team irrespective of the conditions and they will be crucial for India’s Success in the next WTC Cycle.
5. Fast Bowlers – Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, And Mohammed Shami
Jasprit Bumrah will be leading the pace attack going into the next World Test Championship Cycle, as the Indian speedster is looking to make a comeback into the Indian side following his long-standing backing injury. Indian pacers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj also will be crucial for India in the upcoming series against West Indies as they will again spread head India’s bowling attack in West Indies.
With workload coming into play, India can keep Jaydev Unadkat and Mukesh Kumar in the mix as they have performed very well for their respective domestic sides in International Cricket.