Indian pacer Mukesh Kumar was snubbed from the Test squad that was named for the Test series against England. The likes of Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Shardul Thakur made the cut with the Bengal pacer shown the door.
The BCCI selectors have named as many as six pacers alongside regulars like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Even the veteran pacer Mohammed Shami was ruled out of the series due to a knee injury.
The BCCI further added Harshit Rana as a cover for the rest of the pacers after he impressed the selectors during the India A games in England. Rana made an impact in his debut Test, taking four wickets and playing a big role in India's win at Perth.
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Mukesh Kumar Hurt After Test Snub
Meanwhile, Mukesh Kumar was unfortunate not to play the second unofficial Test in Northampton after taking two wickets in the first Test against England Lions in Canterbury. He also did not play in the intra-squad practice match in Kent last week.
Upset with his non-selection, Mukesh Kumar shared a cryptic post on his Instagram story. "Karma bides its time. You will always have to watch out. Karma is unforgiving and always get payback" he wrote.
On the other hand, the selection of Harshit Rana has got a lot to do with how he impressed the selectors with the ball. He took wickets and chipped in with a few handy runs as well. He also hit England spinner Rehan Ahmed for two sixes showing his prowess with the ball. In all fairness, Rana has seemed to made it count in the little opportunities he has been given in international cricket.
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Stage Set For Headingley Test
The stage is set for the first Test between England and India at Headingley. England have named their XI for the Test match. Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, has confirmed that Shubman Gill will bat at four and he himself at five. The number three slot is still up for grabs with Karun Nair, Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran being the options. The Indian batters are expected to be tested in the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. However, they have an opportunity as well with England fielding a relatively inexperienced attack.
