IND vs NZ 2021: 3 players who were unlucky to miss out on India's Test squad

Short on the heels of their T20I squad announcement, India have named their contingent for the two-Test series against New Zealand later this year.

Key players such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant and Mohammed Shami have been rested for the series, while Test captain Virat Kohli is also slated to miss the opening game. Ajinkya Rahane will lead India in Kohli's absence, with youngsters like KS Bharat and Prasidh Krishna receiving call-ups to the squad.

India’s Test squad for the New Zealand series: Ajinkya Rahane (captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara (vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Virat Kohli (only for second Test)

However, a few players were rather harshly snubbed by the selectors. Here are three cricketers who were unlucky to miss out on India's squad for the New Zealand Test series.

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#3 Jaydev Unadkat

Jaydev Unadkat in action during an India training session

The Ranji Trophy was canceled last domestic season and several long-format players haven't been able to showcase their wares recently. However, Jaydev Unadkat's domestic performances in red-ball cricket have been exceptional for many years now.

In the 10 matches he played in the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, Unadkat scalped an astonishing 67 wickets at an average of 13.23, with seven five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls. With India desperately searching for a left-arm pacer, they could've used the services of Unadkat, whose red-ball credentials mustn't be questioned by his slightly indifferent white-ball records.

Unadkat has 327 wickets in 89 first-class matches at an average of 23.21, and on paper, he certainly deserves to have featured in more than the one Test he has played for India. Time is fast running out, though.

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#2 Prithvi Shaw

New Zealand v India - First Test: Day 3

As India took an incredible 2-1 lead in the Test series against England earlier this year, Prithvi Shaw and Suryakumar Yadav were called up as backups after a few players were ruled out with injuries.

While Suryakumar's first-class record is questionable and may only have been called up as he was on the back of a successful international assignment in Sri Lanka, Shaw has been in and around the Test team for a few years now. If he was selected for a challenging overseas tour of England, where his technique may not have held up, why didn't he make the squad for a home series that doesn't even feature one of India's primary openers in Rohit?

Shubman Gill is reportedly set to be used in the middle order as a long-term replacement for the veterans in the Indian team, leaving KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal as the only two frontline openers in the side. Shaw is part of the India 'A' squad for their upcoming South Africa tour, but why he didn't make the cut for the senior squad is a question only the selectors can answer.

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#1 Hanuma Vihari

Australia v India: 3rd Test: Day 5

Social media has been sent into a tizzy after Hanuma Vihari was excluded from India's Test squad for the New Zealand series. Regarded as the future of the Test team, Vihari hasn't played for the country since his heroic match-saving effort in Australia.

Vihari suffered an injury in that Test and spent some time on the sidelines but has since recovered and played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this month. He has been added to the India 'A' squad for the South Africa tour, but why wasn't he named ahead of the likes of Shreyas Iyer for the New Zealand series?

Vihari has consistently played difficult overseas roles for India and a home series would've given him the perfect chance to stake his claim for a regular spot in the Indian side. With players like Rahane woefully out of form and barely clinging onto a middle-order role, the 28-year-old needs to get a string of chances at the earliest.

The selectors are yet to provide an explanation for Vihari's exclusion and they probably never will. But it's baffling to say the least.