Bumrah for WI Tests, Reddy and Padikkal return

India have recalled Devdutt Padikkal to the Test squad for the two-match home series against West Indies, dropping Karun Nair and Abhimanyu Easwaran. Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been picked as well, although the first Test in Ahmedabad starts on October 2, three days after the Asia Cup final in Dubai.

- HT Correspondent

With Rishabh Pant missing out due to the foot fracture sustained at Old Trafford in July, Ravindra Jadeja was named the vice-captain. Dhruv Jurel and N Jagadeesan are the two wicket-keeper batters in the squad, with Jurel as the top pick.

The exclusion of Nair, 33, comes on the back of a mediocre series for the Karnataka batter who scored 205 runs in four Tests in the drawn series in England.

“Frankly, we expected more from Karun,” said chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar in the press conference in Dubai on Thursday. “Padikkal offers a little bit more at this point. Wish we could give everyone 15-20 Tests, unfortunately it doesn’t work that way. Padikkal was in the squad in Australia, played against England in Dharamsala, gota fifty there. He's shown some decent form.”