12 September,2016 11:55 AM IST | | A Correspondent
The Indian selectors are set to stick with the same pool of players that won the Test series in West Indies recently for the upcoming home three-Test series against New Zealand
Shardul Thakur
The Indian selectors are set to stick with the same pool of players that won the Test series in West Indies recently for the upcoming home three-Test series against New Zealand.
However, the squad will be trimmed to 15 from 17 when the selectors announce their team today.
The two men set to lose their spot are pace bowler Shardul Thakur, who is currently playing for India A in the four-day matches against Australia A in Brisbane and Stuart Binny, who could abe excluded given India are unlikely to require a seam-bowling all-rounder at home.
mid-day learns that the selectors are also likely to drop one of the fast bowlers for a spinner.
With Gujarat spinner Axar Patel still in Australia, there is a fair chance the selectors could lean towards chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav, who impressed during the recent Duleep Trophy matches.
It is learnt that the selectors are prepared to take a gamble and pick him in the squad, so he can work alongside coach Anil Kumble and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. But Kuldeep has yet to play a whole Ranji Trophy season and he could come into contention again for the Tests against England.
