In what was India’s first selection committee meeting since last October to pick the Test squad, the Ajit Agarkar-led panel showed what they have been doing consistently. To look at the future. With the one-off Test match against Afghanistan scheduled to start six days after the IPL ends, they took the safe call to rest Jasprit Bumrah.
But the call to even hand an extended break to Ravindra Jadeja signalled the right intentions. In place of the ace all-rounder, who has been indispensable, the selectors have summoned Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey, two left-arm spinners and capable batsmen, who can be groomed for the future.
In Indian cricket, the word ‘rest’ may not be necessarily taken in a literal sense. But the communication of Agarkar & Co, have always been clear. Having not played a Test since South Africa gave them a hiding at home in November, India have ten big months coming up. Before they host Australia in January 2027, they have two important away series in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
While the exclusion of Auqib Nabi, the Jammu & Kashmir pacer, who was part of their historic Ranji Trophy winning campaign, drew criticism, the inclusion of Gurnoor Brar and the two spinners, are the first signs of India looking beyond the current core. While Nabi’s performance did make him part of the discussions, the decision to side with Brar is part of their long-term vision.
Since the Australia tour, Brar India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has been keeping a close tab on him. Among the next crop of fast bowlers, Brar’s pace has been grabbing attention since the last domestic season. Though the Punjab pacer has featured only in 18 first-class fixtures, he has picked up 52 wickets at 27.30 and has been part of the India A set-up, and is among the targeted pool of players being monitored by the Centre of Excellence. Apart from Brar, Prince Yadav, who made an impression in the IPL, finds himself in the ODI set-up.
“With Gurnoor, we have seen a lot of promise over the last season-and-a-half now,” Agarkar said. “Tall guy with a bit of pace. Again, keeping the South African World Cup in mind, we are obviously going to try a few guys who at that point might be useful if they keep developing. Prince Yadav has shown a lot of promise through the domestic season. I think he had a really good Vijay Hazare. Obviously, bowled well in the IPL. But we have seen that he has grown a lot as a bowler over the last year or so. And again, has the necessary skills to succeed with the white ball,” he added.
With Bumrah needed to be protected for the 2027 World Cup, and no reliable option beyond Mohammed Siraj when it comes to the third-seamer role, Brar and Price are being groomed for the next cycle.
Beyond Jadeja
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It is in the spin department that India are beginning to actively look for like-for-like replacements. When they decided to move on from R Ashwin, India had Washington Sundar waiting in the wings. Although both the off-spinners are poles apart, Gambhir saw a spinner who has enough guile and can be a reliable all-rounder across conditions in Washington. By including Suthar and Dubey, the seeds are being sowed for a smooth transition for Jadeja, who is the oldest in the team at 37.
“With the Test team, you can see there is a lot of transition happening at this point. “So, we are looking at options. Obviously, there have been a couple of players who have moved away from Test cricket. In one-day cricket, it is the same thing. You want guys who can contribute with the bat down the order but also have the necessary skill to be a frontline spinner. Or a frontline seam bowler. And we think he (Dubey) certainly fits the bill,” Agarkar said.
With Kuldeep Yadav still not cementing his spot, India want their bases covered in the spin department for the Australia series. Against South Africa, Jadeja had decent returns, but at the wrong side of 30s, there are fears that his peak years might be beyond him. Not part of the T20I and ODI outfits anymore, and the odd niggles cropping up, it is understood that India are keen on having a replacement ready. Enter 23-year-olds Suthar and Dubey.
Suthar, like Brar, may not have exceptional numbers, but has plenty of admirers in the India team. A spinner in the classical mould and not exposed much to white-ball cricket, he is an old-fashioned spinner whose drift has troubled even the best. Similarly, Dubey has been an all-rounder in the making. Across formats, he has played a vital role in Vidarbha winning the Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. During the 2024/25 Ranji season he had a record haul of 69 wickets.
