India has announced a 15-member squad for the forthcoming Test series against New Zealand. Mohammed Shami remains absent from the lineup as he is still in the process of recovering from his injury. In addition, Jasprit Bumrah has been appointed as the vice-captain for this series.
India will enter the upcoming home Test series against New Zealand with largely the same team that faced Bangladesh in September. This indicates that Mohammed Shami has not sufficiently recovered in time for what will be India’s final red-ball matches before the five-Test series in Australia later this year. Additionally, Yash Dayal, who was called up for his first Test during the Bangladesh series, will also be absent.
India's squad for test series against New Zealand
India currently leads the World Test Championship (WTC) points table, boasting a percentage of 74.24 from 11 Test matches. Securing victories in all of their remaining eight Tests—three at home against New Zealand and five away against Australia—would elevate their percentage to 85.09%. However, a more pragmatic objective for the team will be to accumulate sufficient points to guarantee their position in the WTC final, irrespective of the outcomes of other matches.
India’s squad for test series against New Zealand –
India did not appoint a specific vice-captain for their latest Test series against Bangladesh; however, Bumrah has previously fulfilled this role. He acted as vice-captain during the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. Subsequently, he held the position during the two-Test tour of South Africa in the 2023-24 season and again in the five-Test series against England earlier this year. Bumrah has also led India once in the one-off Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was forced to sit out after having tested positive for Covid-19.
Shami is currently in the process of recovering from an ankle injury that necessitated surgical intervention. His most recent appearance in a competitive match was in November 2023, during the ODI World Cup final against Australia held in Ahmedabad. There were expectations for him to regain full match fitness during India’s current home season, in preparation for the significant series in Australia. Mayank Yadav, who recently made his T20I debut for India against Bangladesh earlier this month, will be added to the squad as a travelling reserve, alongside Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
Rohit Sharma might miss test first test against Australia
Rohit Sharma’s involvement in the initial Tests during India’s tour of Australia is uncertain due to personal matters. It is possible that he will miss the first Test in Perth, scheduled for November 22. While India recently conducted a Test series against Bangladesh at home without a specific vice-captain, the selectors expressed a desire to appoint one for the long term, rather than on a temporary basis as has typically been done. Consequently, they have chosen Jasprit Bumrah for this role.
Rohit has captained the Indian Test team in 18 matches to date, achieving victory in 12 of those encounters. He assumed the captaincy in February 2022, taking over from Virat Kohli. While his impact on the limited-overs format is more pronounced, evidenced by a T20 World Cup title, one of Rohit’s significant challenges arose in the realm of Test cricket when he confronted a highly aggressive England side at home in 2024, all while missing several key senior players.
India transformed a 0-1 deficit from the initial Test into a commanding 4-1 victory, thanks to the significant contributions of their emerging talents. Shubman Gill solidified his position as a No. 3 batsman. Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel demonstrated their capabilities at the elite level, while Yashasvi Jaiswal emerged as a standout performer.
With Bumrah’s recent designation as India’s vice-captain for the upcoming three-Test series against New Zealand in October, it is quite probable that he will assume leadership of the team in Perth. The fast bowler, who will celebrate his 31st birthday in December, has previously captained India once during a solitary Test in England in 2022, when Rohit was unable to play due to a positive Covid-19 test. This match marked Bumrah’s inaugural experience as a captain at any level of representative cricket, making him the first fast bowler to lead India since Kapil Dev in 1987.
