The Sandeep Patil-led selection committee has decided to make two changes, for the upcoming test series against New Zealand, to the squad that played against West Indies last month. This could probably be the last team selected by this committee after BCCI President Anurag Thakur confirmed that a new selection panel will be announced through an interview process at the board’s AGM on September 21.
All-rounder Stuart Binny and seamer Shardul Thakur have been dropped from the squad as the selectors have decided to field a 15-member team against the travelling Kiwis. During the West Indies tour, Binny and Thakur had played only one game – the tour match against the WICB President’s XI.
The series against New Zealand kick-starts a home season that will see India play 13 Tests until March 2017. The first match against the Kiwis will be played in Kanpur from September 22, while the second and third Tests will be held in Kolkata and Indore.
Squad: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, M Vijay, Umesh Yadav
