New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Wicketkeeper-batter and vice-captain Rishabh Pant has made a return to India’s squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa, starting on November 14 in Kolkata.

The second game of the series was held in Guwahati on November 22, with the latter set to make its debut as a Test venue. IANS had previously reported that the squad was picked earlier in an online meeting of the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee held on Wednesday.

While Pant replaces N Jagadeesan in the Test squad, fast bowler Akash Deep has also earned a return to the Test team in place of Prasidh Krishna. Pant missed the 2-0 Test series win over the West Indies due to his recovery from a foot fracture sustained during the fourth Test against England at Manchester in July.

Pant, 28, proved his match fitness and readiness by captaining India A to victory in the first four-day match against South Africa A at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru. Pant scored 90 in the second innings as India A successfully chased down a target of 275 in a thrilling fashion.

Akash Deep, meanwhile, had to undergo rehab for a back injury post the England tour that ruled him out of the Duleep Trophy. Since then, he’s turned out for Rest of India in the Irani Cup and played Bengal’s home games against Uttarakhand and Gujarat in the ongoing Ranji Trophy – picking four scalps.

India are currently at third place on the World Test Championship points table with 61.90% points, while South Africa are fifth with 50%, following a 1-1 draw in Pakistan. Following the Test series, India and South Africa will also play three ODIs and five T20Is.

The BCCI also announced the India A squad set to play a three-match 50-over series against South Africa ‘A’ at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on November 13, 16 and 19.

Left-handed batter Tilak Varma has been named the captain, while Ruturaj Gaikwad is appointed as the vice-captain. Other capped India players include Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, and Khaleel Ahmed.

India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (C), Rishabh Pant (WK) (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep

India A squad: Tilak Varma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Riyan Parag, Ishan Kishan (WK), Ayush Badoni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Manav Suthar, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Khaleel Ahmed, Prabhsimran Singh (WK).

–IANS

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