Along with the T20I squad for the three-match series against Windies and Australia and the Test squad for the four-match series Down Under, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also named three India A squads for the tour to New Zealand set to take place alongside the tour of Australia. The Rahul Dravid-coached outfit will feature in three four-day games, followed by three one-day games against New Zealand.
Unlike the tour of South Africa and England, where practice matches for the first team players were not a priority, India have named an A side with Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the first four-day game. Along with Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay and Parthiv Patel, all making a comeback to the Indian Test side, are likely to feature in the game to get accustomed to the weather and field conditions in that part of the world. Hanuma Vihari and Prithvi Shaw have also been added.
Karun Nair will lead the side for the remaining two four-day games, with Mayank Agarwal, who has been dropped from the Test side despite not having played a game, also in the mix. Shubman Gill, who has been in terrific form in the Deodhar Trophy, has also made the cut, rejoining with his coach from the victorious U-19 World campaign earlier this year.
The three one-day games could serve as an audition for India’s ODI squad for the three-match series post the Tests. Manish Pandey will have a point to prove in those games, especially after falling out of favour for the No.4 slot in India’s batting order to Ambati Rayudu. Krunal Pandya, who will be a part of India’s T20I side against Australia, will be eager to use this as a platform to get into the ODI squad.
His younger brother, Hardik Pandya, who is suffering from a lower back injury, will be fit post November 15 as per selector MSK Prasad and is a part of the squad as well.
India A Squads vs New Zealand A
1st four-day game: Ajinkya Rahane (Captain), M Vijay, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), K Gowtham, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rajneesh Gurbani, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper)
2nd and 3rd four-day game: Karun Nair (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, R Samarth, Ankit Bawne, Shubman Gill, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), K Gowtham, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rajneesh Gurbani
Three one-day games: Manish Pandey (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Ankit Bawne, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya, Siddharth Kaul, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed