India vs New Zealand 2016 Squad: Final Indian team for Test series against New Zealand announced

India announced their squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand and it is one with little or no major surprises. Despite some impressive performances from players in the Duleep Trophy, none of them who weren’t in the previous Test squad make it into the list.

Virat Kohli will captain the side that will take on the Kiwis and he will have three spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra while he will also have the services of four fast bowlers, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Umesh Yadav.

With his place on the line, Cheteshwar Pujara’s 166 in his first game and unbeaten 256 in the final for India Blue all but cements his place in the side for the first Test will begin in less than two weeks time.Impressive

BCCI announced the squad on Twitter:

Despite some impressive performances in the Duleep Trophy, Gautam Gambhir, who last played a Test for India in 2014, doesn’t find a place on the squad. Three consecutive fifties in the ongoing tournament might have forced a rethink from the Indian selectors, however, they decided not to pick the 34-year-old opener.

The biggest change in the side, if there was one was the absence of Stuart Binny from the squad. While the side have been looking for an all-rounder, Kohli has been given front-line bowlers instead to kickstart the home summer.

India will kick off their home season which consists of 13 Tests, 8 ODIs, and 3 T20Is with the three-match Test series against a New Zealand side led by Kane Williamson beginning on September 22.

While the first Test will take place at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, the second one will be in Kolkata from September 30 and at Holkar Stadium in Indore will host its first Test on October 8.

Before the start of the series, New Zealand, who are coming off the back of a 1-0 Test series loss to South Africa, will take on the Board President’s XI in Delhi from September 16-18.

Indian Squad: Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli(C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha(WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav.

TEST squad - Virat (Capt), Rahul, Pujara, Rahane, Vijay, Rohit, Ashwin, Saha, Jadeja, Shami, Ishant, Bhuvi, Shikhar, Mishra, Umesh #INDvNZ

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 12, 2016