Bumrah, Jadeja return as India announce squad for WTC final and Test series in England

The All-India Senior Selection Committee on Friday (May 7) announced India’s squad for their upcoming international assignment - the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final and the five-match Test series against England.

The squad consists of 20 players, out of which two - KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha’s selection stay subjected to fitness clearance. Four players - Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla - will travel with the team as standbys. 

India last played Test cricket in March, when they defeated England 3-1 in a four-match series at home. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Hanuma Vihari and Mohammed Shami are the noticeable returnees to the squad. Bumrah had taken a break from cricket for his marriage while Jadeja, Vihari and Shami were recovering from respective injuries picked up during the Test series in Australia. 

While there are no other notable comebacks from India's last series, there were talks about possible returns of Prithvi Shaw and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, none of whom have made it to the squad. Kuldeep Yadav and Hardik Pandya, meanwhile, have been dropped. 

Rahul went through a surgery after being diagnosed with acute appendicitis prior to Match 29 of the recently suspended 2021 edition of IPL. Saha returned a positive COVID-19 Test and his sojourn to England depends on his recovery. 

India will resume international cricket with the maiden WTC final, against New Zealand, which will be held in Southampton, June 18 onwards. Thereon, India will contest England in a five-match Test series, starting from August 4, in Nottingham. Currently, India are set to leave for England on June 2. 

India’s squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, 

KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wk; subject to fitness clearance). 

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla