India A’s young pacers eye ODI spots as Hardik Pandya misses Australia A opener
Young fast bowlers Gurjapneet Singh, Arshad Khan and Yash Thakur will look to prove their worth and present themselves as answers to the senior side's current pace bowling shortage when India A take on Australia A in a three-match ODI series starting Tuesday.
The series had drawn significant attention as the expected return to competitive cricket for Hardik Pandya, but a right shin injury has ruled him out for an indefinite period. With Pandya sidelined, India's options for a seam-bowling all-rounder remain limited, with Nitish Kumar Reddy and Suryansh Shedge currently the next in line. Shedge, who has just completed his rehabilitation at the Centre of Excellence, has stepped into the India A side in Pandya's place. Separately, Naman Dhir, who has now linked up with the senior India squad for the T20s, has been replaced by the in-form Anukul Roy.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India A side boasts a strong batting unit, with the skipper himself, Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan and Rajat Patidar all having represented the senior national team. For the national selectors, led by Pragyan Ojha, the bigger priority lies elsewhere: identifying quality ODI bowlers emerging through the pathway system.
Among the bowling options, Gurjapneet and Arshad are both left-arm seamers, while Yash Thakur bowls right-arm. Arshad impressed with his death-over bowling during India A's recent tri-series in Sri Lanka and can also contribute useful runs lower down the order, making him a particularly interesting prospect. All three carry solid List A numbers, though Gurjapneet (9 games, 17 wickets) and Arshad (11 games, 15 wickets) have considerably less experience than Thakur (57 games, 90 wickets). Each of the three, however, boasts an economy rate under 6 runs per over, a notable return given the format's constraints.
Their performances will be tested against an Australian line-up featuring Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney, both of whom have represented their national side.
The broader context adds urgency to their outings. Recent additions to India's pace pool, Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj, have struggled on their respective ODI debuts. Gurnoor Brar remains a work in progress, Prasidh Krishna has been inconsistent, Mohammed Siraj has lost form, and Harshit Rana has battled persistent injuries. Against this backdrop, the pace trio will be eager to send a strong signal to the national selection committee ahead of the ODI leg of India's upcoming tour of New Zealand, where, barring Jasprit Bumrah, no Indian pacer currently holds a confirmed spot.
Squads:
India A: Ruturaj Gaikwad (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, B Sai Sudharsan, Priyansh Arya, Kumar Kushagra (wk), Suryansh Shedge, Rajat Patidar, Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Arshin Kulkarni, Nishant Sindhu, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Thakur, Gurjapneet Singh, Arshad Khan, Anukul Roy.
Australia A: Aaron Hardie, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lachlan Shaw, Riley Meredith, Ben Dwarshuis, Nikhil Chaudhary, Mahli Beardman, Mitch Owen, Jack Edwards, Tanveer Sangha, Spencer Johnson, Todd Murphy, Will Sutherland.
