3 major takeaways from India A squad for tour of Australia

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-member India A squad for the upcoming tour of Australia. The team will face Australia A in two four-day unofficial Tests, with the first match set to begin on October 31 at the Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay, followed by the second game in Melbourne starting on November 7.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named captain, with Abhimanyu Easwaran as his deputy. Ishan Kishan has also been included in the squad as the wicketkeeper-batter aims to secure a spot in the senior team. The management has selected four pace bowlers, including two left-arm seamers.

Here’s the 15-member India A squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vc), Sai Sudharsan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Devdutt Padikkal, Ricky Bhui, Baba Indrajith, Ishan Kishan (wk), Abishek Porel (wk), Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, Navdeep Saini, Manav Suthar, and Tanush Kotian.

The Indian players will be eager to showcase their skills and earn a place in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which begins on November 22. With that in mind, we look at three key takeaways from the India A squad for the tour of Australia.

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#1 Competition between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran for the third opener's slot

There have been reports suggesting that Indian skipper Rohit Sharma might miss the first Test against Australia due to personal reasons. This opens the door for players like Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhimanyu Easwaran to make their mark for India A and secure a spot as third openers in the senior men’s team.

Both players possess immense talent and have been scoring runs consistently. Ruturaj, the Maharashtra captain in the Ranji Trophy, has had a strong start to the season. In three innings across two matches, he has scored 231 runs at an average of 77, including one fifty and one hundred. The 27-year-old has played 35 first-class matches, accumulating 2,513 runs with 13 fifties and seven centuries.

On the other hand, Easwaran had a mixed outing in Bengal’s first match against Uttar Pradesh; he was dismissed for five in the first innings but bounced back with a remarkable century in the second, remaining unbeaten on 127 off 172 balls.

With significant first-class experience, having played 99 matches, he has amassed 7,638 runs at an average of 49.92, including 29 fifties and 27 centuries.

The series against Australia A presents both openers with an ideal opportunity to showcase their skills in challenging conditions and potentially earn a place in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

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#2 Much-deserved inclusion of Ricky Bhui after a brilliant Ranji Trophy 2023-24 and Duleep Trophy 2024

Andhra captain Ricky Bhui has not had the best start to the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy season, scoring just 48 runs in two matches. However, his prior achievements justify his inclusion in the India A team.

Last season, Bhui was the leading run-scorer in the Ranji Trophy, amassing 902 runs in eight matches at an impressive average of 75.16. He recorded three fifties and four centuries, with a highest score of 175.

He continued this excellent form in the 2024 Duleep Trophy while representing India D, where he scored 359 runs in three matches at an average of 71.80, including one fifty and two centuries, making him the tournament’s top run-scorer.

Bhui's impressive performances have earned him a well-deserved call-up for the India A tour of Australia, and the 28-year-old will be eager to replicate his success at a higher level.

He has played 76 first-class matches, scoring 5,217 runs, including 19 fifties and 20 centuries.

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#3 Arshdeep Singh is not in the mix for red-ball cricket

Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has made a remarkable impact for Team India in white-ball cricket, particularly in T20Is. He played a key role in the Men in Blue's triumph at the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they defeated South Africa in the final.

However, his absence from the India A squad which has players like Mukesh Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal, and Navdeep Saini, suggests that he is not being considered for red-ball cricket.

Furthermore, with the Men in Blue set to tour South Africa for a four-match T20I series during the same timeframe as the India A tour, it indicates that Arshdeep will lead the bowling attack there, reinforcing his exclusion from red-ball considerations.

The 25-year-old had a solid showing in the 2024 Duleep Trophy, claiming 13 wickets in three matches, but he will need to wait for his opportunity in the longest format.