Whenever India plays a Test series at home, there are little or no inclusions in the side. More or less, the Indian team always looks to make continuity its first priority as they look to make their home grounds a fortress. Although they have been quite successful in doing the same, it would be rather naïve to think that team selection has nothing to do with this.

However, with a new selection panel come new ideas. In fact, the fact that such inexperienced selectors have been picked, the panel and the board has been on the receiving end of a considerable amount of flak for the same. In spite of all this, all the selectors can do at the moment is do the job the BCCI has entrusted them with.

With a few injuries persisting in the side, the selectors have gone on somewhat of a selection spree. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar may be injured, but there are quite literally a million cricketers who can make a case for themselves in the Test side. That said, here are five surprising inclusions and exclusions in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against England.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Jayant-Yadav.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88378"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88378" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jayant-Yadav.jpg" alt="Jayant Yadav India" width="600" height="422" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88378" class="wp-caption-text">Jayant Yadav. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

26-year old Jayant Yadav is an important member of the Haryana side for the Ranji Trophy. Despite not spinning the ball as much as he would like, the pace variation as far as Jayant Yadav is concerned is something that makes him a supremely important part of any side he is a part of. Also, the fact that he does not pick as many wickets he would like, the youngster makes it up in maiden overs.

In the context of the India v England series, Yadav is a surprise inclusion in the fact that he is one of four spinners to be a part of the 15-man squad for the first two Test matches against the Brits. This reduces his chances for playing alongside Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on the side. Moreover, the presence of Amit Mishra also adds a demarcation for the 26-year old.

Although it is highly likely that Yadav would be resigned to the bench, it is clear that Yadav is one who has been selected on merit. He impressed one and all with some impressive bowling in the final ODI and also can bat, something that not many specialist spinners boast of. He also has a double-century in domestic cricket, evidence of the fact that he can indeed wield the bat.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/08/Karun-Nair-ind.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-29520"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-29520" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Karun-Nair-ind.jpg" alt="Karun Nair" width="600" height="376" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-29520" class="wp-caption-text">Karun Nair. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

At 24, Karun Nair is one of the most impressive players in the Indian domestic circuit. The Karnataka team has also been nice enough to hand over the captaincy to Nair given the fact that the youngster can wield the bat with drastic consequences.

However, as far as Nair goes, he has been roped into the grand scheme of things on several occasions. Most of the times, he has been brought in as cover for the likes of Murali Vijay or even more recently for his own Karnataka teammate KL Rahul. However, this cover has not yet yielded him a Test debut just yet.

In the domestic circuit, Karun Nair has an unparalleled record. He is one of the few players who has smashed his way to a triple century in the Ranji Trophy final. In addition, he boasts of a solid defensive technique, something that has seen many hold him in high regard.

When the Indian selectors picked Hardik Pandya for the Test series against England, the shock on social media was rather unexpected. Of course, one can argue that he was chosen on merit, but, the fact of the matter remains that he is a limited over’s specialist. This also makes the 23-year old one of the few all-rounders from India to play all formats of the game.

Hardik Pandya however, on the other hand, has impressive stats when it comes to playing his trade in the shorter formats. He boasted of impressive stats in the Vijay Hazare trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, something that helped him make his case for the World T20 squad. However, some weak performances in the tournament ensured that he was left out in the cold.

This, however, did not matter as much for the 23-year old as he was once again picked for the Indian squad soon after the India v New Zealand Test series. He impressed in Dharamsala before once again falling off the pace in the final ODI. What he brings to the table in the Test format remains to be seen.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88702"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88702" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh Ranji Trophy 2016-17" width="600" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88702" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Times of India)</figcaption>

34-year old Yuvraj Singh may be in the twilight of his career, but this does not mean that he still does not make the big runs he once did during his day. More recently, the southpaw has been one of the stalwarts for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy format where he has slammed records and tons at will.

Although the domestic circuit seems to be all too easy for Yuvraj, it seems as though the incumbent stuffed shirts calling themselves the Indian selectors are not opening the door each time the southpaw bangs on it with yet another domestic ton. There is enough evidence to back this up by scoring his highest first-class score in his career. He slammed 260 aganist Baroda at Delhi to help his side claim a few bonus points courtesy of the first-innings lead.

Having been a part of the Duleep Trophy in a leadership capacity, it would only seem fitting that he would get a call to arms as and when the Indians do indeed go ahead and play their day-night Test match. However, he is most certainly one of the surprise exclusions from the Indian side.

<a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/09/Shardul-Thakur-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-85361"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-85361" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shardul-Thakur-1.jpg" alt="Shardul Thakur" width="600" height="447" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-85361" class="wp-caption-text">Shardul Thakur delivers a ball. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

When Shardul Thakur made his way to the Caribbean along with the Indian squad, it was clear that the Indians had one eye on the future as opposed to their regular squad that made their way to many of the overseas tours.

However, Thakur was resigned to the bench despite being one of the players highly expected to make his way to the playing XI on several occasions. An aggressive quick bowler, who can swing the ball away from the right-handers even while hitting the pitch hard, Shardul Thakur has established himself as the spearhead of Mumbai&#8217;s attack.

<h6><strong>Also read: <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/hardik-pandya-gets-maiden-call-indian-squad-tests-england/" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya gets maiden call in the Indian squad for the Tests against England</a></strong></h6>

<p>Whenever India plays a Test series at home, there are little or no inclusions in the side. More or less, the Indian team always looks to make continuity its first priority as they look to make their home grounds a fortress. Although they have been quite successful in doing the same, it would be rather naïve to think that team selection has nothing to do with this.</p>
<p>However, with a new selection panel come new ideas. In fact, the fact that such inexperienced selectors have been picked, the panel and the board has been on the receiving end of a considerable amount of flak for the same. In spite of all this, all the selectors can do at the moment is do the job the BCCI has entrusted them with.</p>
<p>With a few injuries persisting in the side, the selectors have gone on somewhat of a selection spree. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar may be injured, but there are quite literally a million cricketers who can make a case for themselves in the Test side. That said, here are five surprising inclusions and exclusions in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against England.</p>
<h4><strong>Inclusions:</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Jayant Yadav</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_88378" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88378" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Jayant-Yadav.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88378"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-88378" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jayant-Yadav.jpg" alt="Jayant Yadav India" width="600" height="422" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88378" class="wp-caption-text">Jayant Yadav. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<p>26-year old Jayant Yadav is an important member of the Haryana side for the Ranji Trophy. Despite not spinning the ball as much as he would like, the pace variation as far as Jayant Yadav is concerned is something that makes him a supremely important part of any side he is a part of. Also, the fact that he does not pick as many wickets he would like, the youngster makes it up in maiden overs.</p>
<p>In the context of the India v England series, Yadav is a surprise inclusion in the fact that he is one of four spinners to be a part of the 15-man squad for the first two Test matches against the Brits. This reduces his chances for playing alongside Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on the side. Moreover, the presence of Amit Mishra also adds a demarcation for the 26-year old.</p>
<p>Although it is highly likely that Yadav would be resigned to the bench, it is clear that Yadav is one who has been selected on merit. He impressed one and all with some impressive bowling in the final ODI and also can bat, something that not many specialist spinners boast of. He also has a double-century in domestic cricket, evidence of the fact that he can indeed wield the bat.</p>
<h4><strong>Karun Nair</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_29520" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29520" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/08/Karun-Nair-ind.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-29520"><amp-img class="wp-image-29520" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Karun-Nair-ind.jpg" alt="Karun Nair" width="600" height="376" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-29520" class="wp-caption-text">Karun Nair. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>At 24, Karun Nair is one of the most impressive players in the Indian domestic circuit. The Karnataka team has also been nice enough to hand over the captaincy to Nair given the fact that the youngster can wield the bat with drastic consequences.</p>
<p>However, as far as Nair goes, he has been roped into the grand scheme of things on several occasions. Most of the times, he has been brought in as cover for the likes of Murali Vijay or even more recently for his own Karnataka teammate KL Rahul. However, this cover has not yet yielded him a Test debut just yet.</p>
<p>In the domestic circuit, Karun Nair has an unparalleled record. He is one of the few players who has smashed his way to a triple century in the Ranji Trophy final. In addition, he boasts of a solid defensive technique, something that has seen many hold him in high regard.</p>
<h4><strong>Hardik Pandya</strong></h4>
<p><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/11/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91870"><amp-img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-91870" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="600" height="426" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a></p>
<p>When the Indian selectors picked Hardik Pandya for the Test series against England, the shock on social media was rather unexpected. Of course, one can argue that he was chosen on merit, but, the fact of the matter remains that he is a limited over’s specialist. This also makes the 23-year old one of the few all-rounders from India to play all formats of the game.</p>
<p>Hardik Pandya however, on the other hand, has impressive stats when it comes to playing his trade in the shorter formats. He boasted of impressive stats in the Vijay Hazare trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, something that helped him make his case for the World T20 squad. However, some weak performances in the tournament ensured that he was left out in the cold.</p>
<p>This, however, did not matter as much for the 23-year old as he was once again picked for the Indian squad soon after the India v New Zealand Test series. He impressed in Dharamsala before once again falling off the pace in the final ODI. What he brings to the table in the Test format remains to be seen.</p>
<h4><strong>Exclusions:</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Yuvraj Singh</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_88702" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88702" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88702"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-88702" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh Ranji Trophy 2016-17" width="600" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88702" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Times of India)</figcaption></figure>
<p>34-year old Yuvraj Singh may be in the twilight of his career, but this does not mean that he still does not make the big runs he once did during his day. More recently, the southpaw has been one of the stalwarts for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy format where he has slammed records and tons at will.</p>
<p>Although the domestic circuit seems to be all too easy for Yuvraj, it seems as though the incumbent stuffed shirts calling themselves the Indian selectors are not opening the door each time the southpaw bangs on it with yet another domestic ton. There is enough evidence to back this up by scoring his highest first-class score in his career. He slammed 260 aganist Baroda at Delhi to help his side claim a few bonus points courtesy of the first-innings lead.</p>
<p>Having been a part of the Duleep Trophy in a leadership capacity, it would only seem fitting that he would get a call to arms as and when the Indians do indeed go ahead and play their day-night Test match. However, he is most certainly one of the surprise exclusions from the Indian side.</p>
<h4><strong>Shardul Thakur</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_85361" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-85361" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/09/Shardul-Thakur-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-85361"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-85361" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shardul-Thakur-1.jpg" alt="Shardul Thakur" width="600" height="447" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-85361" class="wp-caption-text">Shardul Thakur delivers a ball. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>When Shardul Thakur made his way to the Caribbean along with the Indian squad, it was clear that the Indians had one eye on the future as opposed to their regular squad that made their way to many of the overseas tours.</p>
<p>However, Thakur was resigned to the bench despite being one of the players highly expected to make his way to the playing XI on several occasions. An aggressive quick bowler, who can swing the ball away from the right-handers even while hitting the pitch hard, Shardul Thakur has established himself as the spearhead of Mumbai’s attack.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read: <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/hardik-pandya-gets-maiden-call-indian-squad-tests-england/" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya gets maiden call in the Indian squad for the Tests against England</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>

<p>Whenever India plays a Test series at home, there are little or no inclusions in the side. More or less, the Indian team always looks to make continuity its first priority as they look to make their home grounds a fortress. Although they have been quite successful in doing the same, it would be rather naïve to think that team selection has nothing to do with this.</p>
<p>However, with a new selection panel come new ideas. In fact, the fact that such inexperienced selectors have been picked, the panel and the board has been on the receiving end of a considerable amount of flak for the same. In spite of all this, all the selectors can do at the moment is do the job the BCCI has entrusted them with.</p>
<p>With a few injuries persisting in the side, the selectors have gone on somewhat of a selection spree. KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar may be injured, but there are quite literally a million cricketers who can make a case for themselves in the Test side. That said, here are five surprising inclusions and exclusions in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against England.</p>
<h4><strong>Inclusions:</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Jayant Yadav</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_88378" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88378" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Jayant-Yadav.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88378"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88378" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Jayant-Yadav.jpg" alt="Jayant Yadav India" width="600" height="422" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88378" class="wp-caption-text">Jayant Yadav. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
<p>26-year old Jayant Yadav is an important member of the Haryana side for the Ranji Trophy. Despite not spinning the ball as much as he would like, the pace variation as far as Jayant Yadav is concerned is something that makes him a supremely important part of any side he is a part of. Also, the fact that he does not pick as many wickets he would like, the youngster makes it up in maiden overs.</p>
<p>In the context of the India v England series, Yadav is a surprise inclusion in the fact that he is one of four spinners to be a part of the 15-man squad for the first two Test matches against the Brits. This reduces his chances for playing alongside Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja on the side. Moreover, the presence of Amit Mishra also adds a demarcation for the 26-year old.</p>
<p>Although it is highly likely that Yadav would be resigned to the bench, it is clear that Yadav is one who has been selected on merit. He impressed one and all with some impressive bowling in the final ODI and also can bat, something that not many specialist spinners boast of. He also has a double-century in domestic cricket, evidence of the fact that he can indeed wield the bat.</p>
<h4><strong>Karun Nair</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_29520" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-29520" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2015/08/Karun-Nair-ind.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-29520"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-29520" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Karun-Nair-ind.jpg" alt="Karun Nair" width="600" height="376" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-29520" class="wp-caption-text">Karun Nair. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>At 24, Karun Nair is one of the most impressive players in the Indian domestic circuit. The Karnataka team has also been nice enough to hand over the captaincy to Nair given the fact that the youngster can wield the bat with drastic consequences.</p>
<p>However, as far as Nair goes, he has been roped into the grand scheme of things on several occasions. Most of the times, he has been brought in as cover for the likes of Murali Vijay or even more recently for his own Karnataka teammate KL Rahul. However, this cover has not yet yielded him a Test debut just yet.</p>
<p>In the domestic circuit, Karun Nair has an unparalleled record. He is one of the few players who has smashed his way to a triple century in the Ranji Trophy final. In addition, he boasts of a solid defensive technique, something that has seen many hold him in high regard.</p>
<h4><strong>Hardik Pandya</strong></h4>
<p><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/11/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-91870"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-91870" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Hardik-Pandya-Baroda.jpg" alt="Hardik Pandya" width="600" height="426" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a></p>
<p>When the Indian selectors picked Hardik Pandya for the Test series against England, the shock on social media was rather unexpected. Of course, one can argue that he was chosen on merit, but, the fact of the matter remains that he is a limited over’s specialist. This also makes the 23-year old one of the few all-rounders from India to play all formats of the game.</p>
<p>Hardik Pandya however, on the other hand, has impressive stats when it comes to playing his trade in the shorter formats. He boasted of impressive stats in the Vijay Hazare trophy as well as the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, something that helped him make his case for the World T20 squad. However, some weak performances in the tournament ensured that he was left out in the cold.</p>
<p>This, however, did not matter as much for the 23-year old as he was once again picked for the Indian squad soon after the India v New Zealand Test series. He impressed in Dharamsala before once again falling off the pace in the final ODI. What he brings to the table in the Test format remains to be seen.</p>
<h4><strong>Exclusions:</strong></h4>
<h4><strong>Yuvraj Singh</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_88702" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-88702" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/10/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-88702"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-88702" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Yuvraj-Singh.jpg" alt="Yuvraj Singh Ranji Trophy 2016-17" width="600" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-88702" class="wp-caption-text">Yuvraj Singh. (Photo Source: Times of India)</figcaption></figure>
<p>34-year old Yuvraj Singh may be in the twilight of his career, but this does not mean that he still does not make the big runs he once did during his day. More recently, the southpaw has been one of the stalwarts for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy format where he has slammed records and tons at will.</p>
<p>Although the domestic circuit seems to be all too easy for Yuvraj, it seems as though the incumbent stuffed shirts calling themselves the Indian selectors are not opening the door each time the southpaw bangs on it with yet another domestic ton. There is enough evidence to back this up by scoring his highest first-class score in his career. He slammed 260 aganist Baroda at Delhi to help his side claim a few bonus points courtesy of the first-innings lead.</p>
<p>Having been a part of the Duleep Trophy in a leadership capacity, it would only seem fitting that he would get a call to arms as and when the Indians do indeed go ahead and play their day-night Test match. However, he is most certainly one of the surprise exclusions from the Indian side.</p>
<h4><strong>Shardul Thakur</strong></h4>
<figure id="attachment_85361" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-85361" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2016/09/Shardul-Thakur-1.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-85361"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-85361" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Shardul-Thakur-1.jpg" alt="Shardul Thakur" width="600" height="447" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-85361" class="wp-caption-text">Shardul Thakur delivers a ball. (Photo by JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p>When Shardul Thakur made his way to the Caribbean along with the Indian squad, it was clear that the Indians had one eye on the future as opposed to their regular squad that made their way to many of the overseas tours.</p>
<p>However, Thakur was resigned to the bench despite being one of the players highly expected to make his way to the playing XI on several occasions. An aggressive quick bowler, who can swing the ball away from the right-handers even while hitting the pitch hard, Shardul Thakur has established himself as the spearhead of Mumbai&#8217;s attack.</p>
<blockquote class="td_quote_box td_box_center">
<h6><strong>Also read: <a href="http://www.crictracker.com/hardik-pandya-gets-maiden-call-indian-squad-tests-england/" target="_blank">Hardik Pandya gets maiden call in the Indian squad for the Tests against England</a></strong></h6>
</blockquote>

India v England: 5 Surprise inclusions and exclusions from the Indian squad

Whenever India plays a Test series at home, there are little or no inclusions in the side. More or less, the Indian team always looks to make continuity its