New Zealand vs India, 2020: 3 players who have missed out from the Indian Test squad

The BCCI has announced the much-anticipated Indian Test squad for the two-match Test series against New Zealand. The series begins on February 21st with the 1st test at the Basin Reserve in Wellington before moving to Christchurch for the second and final fixture of the series. With Rohit Sharma ruled out of the upcoming ODIs as well as the Tests due to a calf injury he sustained during the fifth T20I at Mount Maunganui, the selectors have announced young Shubman Gill as his replacement for the longer format.

India’s Test squad: Virat (Capt), Mayank, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman, Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohd. Shami, Navdeep Saini, Ishant Sharma (subject to fitness clearance).

— BCCI (@BCCI) February 4, 2020

Also making the squad is 20 year old Prithvi Shaw who last played a Test match in October 2018. Speedster Ishant Sharma who suffered an ankle tear during Delhi's Ranji Trophy fixture has been named in the squad but his participation would be subject to fitness clearance. Overall, the squad looks strong enough to challenge the Kiwis at home. But several talented and proven players have missed out on a spot from the squad announced. Let us look at three Indian players who might consider themselves unlucky for having not made the cut for the Test Series.

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Also see - India tour of New Zealand schedule 2020

3) Priyank Panchal

Priyank Panchal

The surprise inclusion of both the youngsters- Gill and Shaw has made it difficult for Priyank Panchal to make the cut. The Gujarat batsman who has been on the Test radar for quite sometime deserved a Team India call-up this time, at least as a reserve opener given Rohit Sharma's absence. He has been a consistent player across all formats of the game in domestic tournaments. The 29-year-old, who has 6778 First-class runs to his name, scored a brilliant century in the recently concluded drawn first unofficial Test against New Zealand A at Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Capable of providing solidarity at the top-of-the-order, Priyank would have been an ideal choice to replace Rohit given his experience and temperament. A regular feature in the India A XI, it would have been a perfect platform for the 2019 Duleep trophy winning skipper to prove his worth in the absence of Rohit. Unfortunately, this talented batsman's wait for that elusive Test debut continues!

2) Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav who last played a Test match in January 2019 was a part of the Indian Test squad for the home series against South Africa and Bangladesh last year but unfortunately couldn't make it to the XI. With the Ravichandran Ashwin-Ravindra Jadeja combo working well for Virat Kohli's men in Test matches, the need for retaining Kuldeep for this series did not arise especially keeping in mind the New Zealand pitch conditions.

Though he proved himself by picking up a five-wicket haul against Australia in their own backyard in the only Test match he played during the four-match Test series when India toured Australia in 2018-19, the 25-year-old couldn't cement his spot in the Indian Test XI. Kuldeep might be a proven performer in the limited-overs format, but when it comes to the longer format it's a different ball game especially in seamer friendly New Zealand conditions. With India likely to field only one spinner in the playing XI, the toss up would be between Jadeja and Ashwin as both are capable of providing crucial runs down the order. Considering the all-round capabilities of Jadeja and the consistency with the bat he has demonstrated off-late and the proven match-winning credentials of Ashwin, the chances of the slow-left-arm chinaman bowler becoming a mainstay in the Test squad in the near future are looking bleak.

1) KL Rahul

KL Rahul

The Karnataka batsman who has been versatile for Team India in limited-overs has become an indispensable member of the Men in Blue given the flexibility he has shown in batting at different positions apart from donning the wicket-keeper's gloves and doing a great job at that. The new Kings XI Punjab skipper even lead the Indian side in the absence of stand-in captain Rohit Sharma who could not take the field after being retired hurt at Mount Maunganui during the fifth T20I against the Blackcaps.

Given the kind of form Rahul is in, a return to the Indian Test squad was certainly on the cards and had the 27-year-old made the cut against New Zealand it would have been a perfect opportunity for him to cement his spot in the ultimate format of the game, having already proven his credentials in T20Is and ODIs. It is surprising to think that Rahul, who last played a Test in August-September 2019 against West Indies at Kingston, is perceived more as a limited-overs specialist despite proving his credentials in the 36 Tests he has played so far.