MUMBAI: All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has been recalled to India’s squad in place of spinner Harbhajan Singh for next month’s first two Tests against South Africa, the country’s cricket board said on Monday.

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, 26, dropped for the recent series in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, has been in prime domestic form, picking up 24 wickets in two matches in first-class cricket.

The left-handed batsman has also scored 91 and 58 in two innings.

The 35-year-old Harbhajan, who has played 103 Tests, bagged four wickets in the two matches he played in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The Indian selectors included off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who suffered a side strain in the first One-day International against South Africa in Kanpur earlier this month, in the Test squad.

Jadeja joins leg-spinner Amit Mishra as the third slow bowler in the side alongside Ashwin.

The selectors, keen to have Ashwin, the leader of the spin attack, fit for the Tests, have rested him for the last two one-dayers in Chennai and Mumbai even though South Africa lead the series 2-1.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was named in the Test squad even though he is ineligible for the first match after being suspended for misconduct against Sri Lanka.

Sreenath Aravind has been drafted into the squad for the last two ODIs, replacing fast bowler Umesh Yadav who proved expensive during the first two matches and was dropped for Sunday’s third game in Rajkot.

Openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, who were injured in Sri Lanka, return to the Test side along with wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha.

The final two ODIs will be played on Thursday and Sunday before the first Rest of the four-match encounter begins on Nov 5 in Mohali and the second at Bangalore from Nov 18.

Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara will lead a Board President’s team side for a two-day match against the tourists in Mumbai on Oct 30 and 31.

Squads:

Test: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma.

ODI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Binny, Dhawan, Kohli, Kumar, Axar Patel, Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sreenath Aravind, Gurkeerat Singh, Mishra, Harbhajan Singh.

Board President’s squad: Cheteshwar Pujara (captain), Rahul, Unmukt Chand, Karun Nair, Shreyas Iyer, Naman Ojha, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Nathu Singh, Karn Sharma, Sheldon Jackson.

Published in Dawn, October 20th , 2015

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