Four late changes made to India 'A' team, Manish Pandey named limited-overs captain

In a surprising turn of events, four very late changes have been made to the India ‘A’ team that is scheduled to travel to Australia to take part in a monthlong tour. Two days before their scheduled departure, captain and wicketkeeper Naman Ojha has been replaced by Manish Pandey for the one-day series that will take place from 14 August. Three other changes have been made for the limited overs series involving the ‘A’ teams of Australia and South Africa.

Apart from Ojha, Shahbaz Nadeem, Vijay Shankar and Akhil Herwadkar are the other prunings done to the squad. The four players even had their visas ready and had attended the strength and conditioning camp organized specially for the tour, which was held from July 12 to 17 at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore.

Yuzvendra Chahal, Mandeep Singh and Hardik Pandya are the one-day specialists who have been called up as replacements. Kedar Jadhav, on the other hand, has been retained only for the one-day series and will be sent home for the four-day matches.

Ojha, like the three others, has been retained for the four-day matches that will follow the one-day series. One of the unofficial ‘Test’s will be played with the pink ball under lights.

Was told two days ago: Ojha

"Selectors have made four changes in the team (India A) and now I will go only for the four-day matches. They've removed me and made four changes, I was told two days ago," Ojha was quoted by Indian Express. No reason has been provided as to why the four changes have been made from the announcement made on June 25.

Naman Ojha has good memories of Australia tours with the India ‘A’ team, having scored a double-hundred and a hundred in a four-day match on the previous assignment there in 2014.

The tour will begin with the one-day series, with India A taking on Australia A in the opening match on August 14. The two other teams involved in the series are South Africa A and National Performance Squad. The two ‘Test’ matches against Australia A are scheduled for September 8 to 11 and September 15 to 18 in Brisbane.

India ‘A’ coach Rahul Dravid will join the squad four to five days after the rest of the players, as he is currently with his ailing mother.

Squad for limited-overs series: Manish Pandey, Faiz Fazal, Mandeep Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson.