Rahane retained for SA Tests; injured Jadeja, Axar out

Out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane was retained in India's Test squad, to be led by Virat Kohli, for the South Africa series later this month.

The first Test commences on December 26, in Centurion.

Rahane was certainly lucky to make the cut, having scored just 411 in 12 Tests he played this year, at an average of 19.57.

However, he was dropped as Test vice-captain, as Rohit Sharma was named Virat Kohli's deputy.

His good record in South Africa, where he averages 53 for a tally of 266 runs in three Tests, clinched him a place in the 18-man squad, announced by the All-India Senior Selection Committee, on Wednesday, for the upcoming three-Test series, which will be part of the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship..

Rahane played a vital knock of 48 in the third Test in Johannesburg during India's last tour in 2018. He had scored two fifties in a single Test during the 2013 tour.

Ravindra Jadeja, Shubman Gill, Axar Patel, Rahul Chahar were not available for selection due to injuries and are currently undergoing rehabilitation.

The out-of-form Ishant Sharma has been given one last series to regain form but it is unlikely that he will be preferred ahead of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav.

Meanwhile, the Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Rohit as captain of India's ODI and T20I teams going forward.

India's Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj.

Standbys: Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Arzan Nagwaswalla.