Pandya gets maiden call-up, Gambhir retained for first two Tests against England

Mumbai : All-rounder Hardik Pandya was the lone new face even as senior speedster Ishant Sharma made a comeback, after recovering from Chikungunya, in the 15-member Indian Test squad announced on Wednesday for the first two matches against England starting November 9 in Rajkot.
While KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were left out due to fitness related issues, batsman Rohit Sharma was also out forced out by a thigh injury which might require surgery.Veteran opener Gautam Gambhir was retained in the squad after scoring a half-century in the Indore Test against New Zealand. Karun Nair is the reserve batsman and Jayant Yadav is the fourth spinner in the squad after Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra. The pace duo of Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav retained their places in the side. Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay, on the other hand, were automatic inclusions.The selection committee chaired by MSK Prasad fielded maximum queries regarding Pandya’s inclusion and he stated that his “all-round abilities” with a sea change in attitude after working under India A coach Rahul Dravid went in his favour.