Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has returned to the national team after proving fitness in the Ranji match. Pandya has been included in Team India for the third and fourth Test against Australia. The third test (Boxing Day Test) will be played in Melbourne from December 26. After this, the fourth and final Test match of the series will be played in Sydney from January 3 next year.
According to the official website of the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI), Hardik Pandya has been included as an additional player in the team. He will be the 19th member of the Indian team on the tour of Australia. Indian team already has 18 players. The Indian team is currently ahead of the Test series 1-0.
Pandya showed up in Ranji match
Hardik Pandya, who was injured during the Asia Cup, has proved his fitness in the Ranji match. He took seven wickets in the Ranji match against Mumbai and scored 73 runs. Pandya started bowling for Baroda for the first innings and bowled the most overs. He bowled 18.5 overs and took 5 wickets. Two wickets in the second innings also followed. With this performance, he claimed to return to ongoing India for Australia tour (India vs Australia).
Mayank Agarwal replaces Prithvi Shaw
Earlier, the Indian team suffered a huge blow before the start of the series by the exit of opene Prithvi Shaw. The Indian team has not been able to start well in the current Test series. It was believed that both of the team’s opener KL Rahul and Murali Vijay could be excluded from the next Test and they could be included in the field Shaw. But the BCCI has decided to call him home because of the injury during warmup game. Mayank Agarwal has been included in the team. Prithvi Shaw was injured in the practice match right before the Test series.
Second chance for Mayank Agarwal
27-year-old Mayank Agarwal was earlier included in Team India for the home Test series against the West Indies, but then he could not find a place in the playing XI. Karnataka opener Mayank Agarwal has scored 3521 runs in 45 first-class matches at an average of 50.30. He has not yet had the chance to play international matches.