India announce squad for 3rd and 4th Test, ODIs against Aus

Bumrah was not named in squad for third & fourth matches of the high-profile

New Delhi (ANI): Despite woeful returns in his recent outings in Test cricket, opener and vice-captain KL Rahul retained his spot in Indian Test squad for the final two Tests against Australia in Indore and Ahmedabad next month. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the same 17-member squad as The All-India Senior Selection Committee had opted for the first two Tests.

Jaydev Unadkat was also named back in the squad after having been allowed to leave the team for the domestic season final in Kolkata, which coincided with the Delhi Test. Unadkat was also added to the 18-member three-match ODI squad against Australia. The Indian cricket governing body revealed that captain Rohit Sharma will miss the first ODI in Mumbai on March 17 ‘due to family commitments’.

Following the dominant victory in the series opener in Nagpur last week, where India won by an innings and 132 runs inside three days, India has now retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by securing a 6-wicket win over Australia in the second Test at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday afternoon. With this latest triumph, India has taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series. In the second innings, the Indian spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja showcased their prowess once again, when Australia seemed to be in a relatably stable position at 85/2 with Steven Smith and Marnus Labuschagne at the crease. —Garvit Narang