3 Surprising inclusions in India's Test squad for the England series

India’s tour of Australia will be remembered as one of the finest Test series. This series opened up the gates for the Indian bench strength as most of the senior players were injured. The batsmen were brave enough to take body blows and save the match for their team. A highly competitive series came to an end when India defeated the Australians at the Gabba.

For most of the former cricketers and analysts, this series was over for team India as they managed to score only 36 in their second innings at the Adelaide Oval. The departure of Virat Kohli added spice to the mix as Rahane was given the captaincy duties. But, for Rahane, this was a golden opportunity to cement his place as the leader of the group. Under him, the Indian Test team managed to defy all the odds. 

Now, the focus shifts from the Australians to the Englishmen. Currently, England have one of the best fast bowling lineups. This presents an opportunity for Virat Kohli and his team to thrive on a tough challenge at home. As the team prepares to welcome the Englishmen, they have added few surprising inclusions in their arsenal.

Here are 3 surprising inclusions in India’s Test squad for England series: 

1. Hardik Pandya

One of the biggest names in the limited-overs format right now, Hardik Pandya was in red hot form against the Australians. However, he returned to India after the T20I series and was unavailable for the Test series. But, the swashbuckling allrounder has returned for the first two Test matches against England. His abilities to strike the ball and keep the scoreboard ticking have enabled him to make his way to the Test squad. 

Now, after an impressive IPL performance and an excellent Australia series, his place in the Test squad was not certain. The main reason for this is his unavailability to bowl as the fifth bowler. Injuries have never helped him to remain fully fit and therefore, his inclusion in the Test squad looks surprising. But, his batting abilities are enough to find him a place in the squad.

In the eleven test matches played so far, Hardik has scored a hundred and has a healthy strike rate of 73.89. His bowling abilities are a great asset for any team. In his Test career, he has taken 17 wickets with an economy rate of 3.38. With the best bowling figures of 5/28, he can swing the ball and the match in the team’s favor. This might have drawn the attention of the selectors as Hardik makes it to this list of 3 surprising inclusions in India’s Test squad for the England series.