India vs England: Umesh returns to Test squad for last two games, subject to fitness test

Paceman Umesh Yadav will return to the Indian side for the pink-ball Test against England in Ahmedabad getting underway on February 24 if he clears the fitness test, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday. The national selection committee announced the India Test squad for the final two matches of the four-match series against England.

Umesh, who had flown back home after playing the second Test in Australia due to a calf injury. The Vidarbha paceman will replace Shardul Thakur in the Indian Test squad if the former passes the fitness assessment. Thakur will be released to take part in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, starting from February 20.

"Umesh Yadav will join the team in Ahmedabad and after his fitness assessment will replace Shardul Thakur, who will be released for Vijay Hazare Trophy," said BCCI in a release.

The Indian squad from first two Tests, which beat England by 317 runs in the second Test in Chennai to draw level in the four-match series, have been retained for the last two Tests.

Paceman Mohammed Shami and Navdeep Saini have still not returned to the squad as they haven't regained full fitness. While as predicted earlier, Ravindra Jadeja has been ruled out of the entire series with a fractured thumb.

India squad for the final two Tests: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (Vice-captain), KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Md. Siraj.

The selection committee, which met on Wednesday also picked five net bowlers and two players as standbys.

Net Bowlers: Ankit Rajpoot, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Warrier, Krishnappa Gowtham, Saurabh Kumar

Standby players: KS Bharat, Rahul Chahar.

Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shahbaz Nadeem and Priyank Panchal, who were kept as standbys till the second Test have been released for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.