Pant eyes Aussie return with Test recall

Wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has returned to the Indian Test team for the first time in nearly two years in a 16-man squad for the first of two Tests against Bangladesh.

Pant was involved in a near-fatal crash in December 2022 that required him to have multiple surgeries. However, after a long road to recovery, he returned to action and even made the squad for their victorious T20 World Cup campaign this year.

Pant, whose last Test appearance was also against Bangladesh in December 2022, has been called up alongside wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel while uncapped left-arm seamer Yash Dayal has also been included.

It means Pant is likely to return to Australia for this summer's five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series after playing a starring role in India's series-clinching win at the Gabba in January 2021.

However, there was no place in the squad to face Bangladesh for fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who is still recovering from a foot surgery. The 34-year-old has not played since the 2023 ODI World Cup when India was beaten in the final by Pat Cummins' Australia.

India's pace attack against Bangladesh will be led by Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.

KL Rahul is also back in the squad after missing Tests against England, as is Sarfaraz Khan, who will give the middle order a boost.

The two-Test series kicks off India's home season for 2024-25, with the first test from September 19 in Chennai and the second from September 27 in Kanpur.

India are also set to play three T20 matches against Bangladesh.

India Test squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal.