IND vs SA: Rishabh Pant comes back to resume vice-captain’s job

Spin will be the calling card for India as it has named four specialists, with Axar Patel replacing pacer Prasiddh Krishna as the hosts named a 15-member squad for a challenging two-Test series against WTC champions South Africa later this month. The other change from the last Test series was on expected lines as Rishabh Pant staged a comeback from injury.  

Axar, the spinning allrounder who last played a Test match in 2024 but has been an invaluable part of the white ball set-up, is expected to be a back-up for Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar. Kuldeep Yadav fills the wrist spinner’s spot and is expected to get some game time in view of the Proteas’ vulnerability against leg spin.

Pant, Test vice-captain since the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, had been out of action with a toe injury during the England tour until recently, when he was back on the field for the India A vs South Africa A series. The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batter impressed during the first India A encounter at the BCCI Centre Of Excellence in Bengaluru when he led from the front as captain and guided the team to a win.

He suffered the injury during the Manchester Test, when he was hit on the foot by a Chris Woakes delivery. Pant resumes his job as deputy to Shubman Gill with Dhruv Jurel, who impressed during the West Indies series, being the second-choice wicketkeeper in the squad.

Akash Deep, the Bengal paceman who impressed in England, also returns to the Test team after missing the West Indies series, which saw India making a 2-0 sweep. South Africa, boosted by the return of skipper Temba Bavuma, goes into the series after a 1-1 draw in Pakistan.

The first Test of the series will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata from 14 to 18 November, with the second match taking place in Guwahati from 22 to 26 November. The Proteas will be reaching Kolkata from Bengaluru by this weekend while India, some of whose players will be engaged in the ongoing T20I series in Australia till Saturday (8 November), will be assembling here early next week. This will be followed by a three-match ODI series and five T20Is.

India’s Test squad

Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K.L. Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep.