All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja marked his comeback, with Mumbai batsman Prithvi Shaw left out as the BCCI, on Friday, announced a 20-man squad for the inaugural World Test Championship final and the five match Test series against England.   

Jadeja had missed out on international action since sustaining a thumb injury during the Sydney Test in India’s tour of Australia last year. He made his return to the pitch in the curtailed Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 season and his selection was a no-brainer, given his form in the tournament apart from being the No. 3 Test all-rounder in the world. 

Hanuma Vihari, who was also injured during the series Down Under, has been included in the squad, as well as pacers Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. 

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Meanwhile, after being dropped following miserable form in Australia, Shaw roared back to his best in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and IPL 2021 and will be disappointed to not get a call-up to the Test side. Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Navdeep Saini and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have also been left out of the squad. 

The cricket body has named four stand-by players for the tour – Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, and Arzan Nagwaswalla. 

The wicketkeeper-batsmen duo of KL Rahul and Wriddhiman Saha have been included but remain subject to their fitness. Saha had contracted COVID-19 during IPL 2021, while Rahul was diagnosed with appendicitis and will undergo surgery for the same. 

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The World Test Championship final will be played in Southampton from June 18, following which the five-match Test series against England will begin from August 4. 

Full Squad:

Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul (subject to fitness clearance), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper; subject to fitness clearance).

Standby players: Abhimanyu Easwaran, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Arzan Nagwaswalla.