Test squad for Irani Trophy
The Rest of India squad, which will take on Ranji Trophy champions Delhi in the Irani Trophy later this month, will be a virtual Test side.
“The selectors would be picking a virtual Test side, barring those belong to Delhi, when selecting the Rest of India team for the Irani tie, slated at Vadodara from September 24 to 28,” BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said yesterday.
The squad will be chosen on September 7 or 8. “The players will then assemble in Bangalore prior to the opening Test against Australia,” Shah said indicating that the first Test squad is expected to be chosen during the five-day domestic season-opening clash.
The Australian cricketers are scheduled to arrive on September 29 for the eagerly awaited four-Test rubber, seen by the home team as an ideal opportunity to avenge the 1-2 defeat in the controversy-ridden three-Test series in Australia held last season.
The Irani Trophy will also be an interesting ground for the selectors to test the form and fitness of some the veterans who have recently returned vanquished from the recent Test tour of Sri Lanka.
The opening Test against Australia is slated to begin at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on October 9, while rest of the ties are scheduled at Mohali (October 17 onwards), Delhi (October 29 onwards) and Nagpur (November 6 onwards), respectively.
By the time the last India-Australia Test gets underway, the English cricketers would have landed in India to begin their tour comprising seven ODI’s and two Tests between November 14 and December 23.
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