India named Jasprit Bumrah in a 16-player Test squad on 17 October for the two-match World Test Championship series in New Zealand, restoring their premier fast bowler alongside Akash Deep while recalling Kuldeep Yadav for spin cover on tracks that traditionally assist seam movement.
Squad highlights
Shubman Gill will captain the side, with Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul and Devdutt Padikkal forming the top order. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Anshul Kamboj and Nitish Kumar Reddy round out the pace depth, while Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar provide all-round spin options.
Rishabh Pant is included subject to fitness clearance after missing the India A tour with an injury sustained in the Irani Trophy; Dhruv Jurel travels as the second wicketkeeper. Sai Sudharsan’s selection adds a middle-order left-hander suited to counter-swing conditions.
Context after the West Indies T20s
India’s white-ball side drew 2-2 with West Indies after rain washed out the Bengaluru decider on 17 October, exposing death-bowling and middle-order gaps without Bumrah and Hardik Pandya. The Test squad’s pace-heavy makeup suggests selectors want to press those advantages in Wellington and Christchurch rather than replicate the T20 template.
Kuldeep’s recall gives Gill a wrist-spin wildcard if New Zealand prepare drier second-innings surfaces, though his recent Test outings yielded modest wickets against Sri Lanka.
Schedule and WTC table
The first Test runs 19-23 November in Wellington, with the second starting 27 November in Christchurch. India sit fifth on the WTC table at 51.52 percent points after beating Sri Lanka earlier in the cycle; strong results in New Zealand are essential with the final at The Oval looming next June.
Before the Tests, India play five T20Is and five ODIs beginning 22 October in Christchurch, giving fringe players one more chance to stake claims while Bumrah likely nurses workloads for the red-ball games that matter most for championship qualification.
Selection debates
Prasidh Krishna’s inclusion alongside Siraj and Bumrah gives Gill three distinct seam profiles: hit-the-deck, swing and raw pace. Kamboj’s county experience in England last summer was cited by selectors in the media briefing, even though his Test cap count remains low.
On spin, Kuldeep competes with Jadeja for a single wrist-spinner slot unless management plays both alongside Sundar’s off-spin in a five-bowler attack. New Zealand’s last home series against Sri Lanka showed how quickly their seamers can exploit the Basin Reserve slope if India pick an extra batter at number six.
Fans booking flights for late November will watch Pant’s fitness drills in the T20 leg; his keeping and aggression remain valuable on pitches that flatten late, but Jurel offers a steadier glove if medical staff err on the side of caution.