India named three newcomers to the two-match Test series against the West Indies next month. Young openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal have been drafted into the squad on the back of some impressive performances in the recently concluded Indian Premier League Season 16 while Delhi Capitals medium-pacer Mukesh Kumar joins the five-men pace battery, which is without the experienced Jasprit Bumrah, who is yet to recover from injury, Mohammad Shami and Umesh Yadav.
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However, the biggest surprises are the dependable No 3 batter Chetshwar Pujara has been dropped while Ajinkya Rahane, who returned to the Indian Test team after 15-month absence during the World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval earlier this month, has been elevated as the vice-captain after being the top-scorer for the Men in Blue.
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Both openers, Jaiswal and Gaikwad, had a phenomenal run for their respective sides Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2023. Jaiswal However, it is a reward for Gaikwad’s consistency over the last few years where he has played major role in Chennai winning two titles in three seasons.
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The Rajasthan left-hander finished fifth in the list for top-scorers with 625 runs while Gaikwad had 590 runs. Rohit Sharma will lead the India’s squads in both Tests and three-match One Day International series, with the first Test beginning at Windsor Park on July 12.
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