Guwahati, May 19 (IANS) Left‑arm spinner Manav Suthar, left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Harsh Dubey, and lanky pacer Gurnoor Brar were on Tuesday handed maiden call‑ups to India’s squad for the one‑off Test against Afghanistan, to be played in New Chandigarh from June 6‑10.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia announced the 15‑member squad on Tuesday, with Shubman Gill appointed captain and KL Rahul replacing Rishabh Pant as the vice‑captain. Brar, Suthar, and Dubey have been India ‘A’ regulars after being standout performers in domestic cricket.

Apart from Gill, Rahul, and Pant, the batting group includes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, and Dhruv Jurel. With Ravindra Jadeja rested for the game, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar will handle spin bowling duties.

“Ravindra Jadeja is an integral part of the team. He’s rested for the Test match, and we are trying to give other players opportunities. It’s for this Test that we have not picked him,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar in a virtual press conference while announcing the squad.

The inclusion of Suthar and Dubey reflects the selection panel’s intent to expand India’s spin bowling resources in red-ball cricket. In the pace department, Mohammed Siraj will lead the attack with Jasprit Bumrah rested and supported by Prasidh Krishna and Brar. Nitish Kumar Reddy continues in the squad as an all-rounder.

The game against Afghanistan is the first time India will be playing a Test since the 2-0 defeat to South Africa at home last year. The Test, though outside the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, carries significance for India’s red‑ball assignments, considering two-match tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand await them.

India and Afghanistan have played only one Test against each other previously, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru in 2018. It ended in two days, with India winning by an innings and 262 runs.

India Test squad: Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel.

–IANS

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