Avesh Khan replaces Mohammed Shami for Cape Town Test

Avesh Khan has been added to India's squad for the second Test against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. He replaces Mohammed Shami, who has not recovered from an ankle injury. Shami was ruled out of the Test series  on December 17, but the BCCI had not named a replacement for him.

“Mohammed Shami, whose participation in the Test series was subject to fitness has not been cleared by the BCCI Medical Team and the fast bowler is ruled out of the two Tests,” BCCI had said in a statement.

Avesh, who has played eight One-Day Internationals (ODI) and 19 T20 Internationals (T20I) for India is yet to play a Test. However, he has 149 wickets at 22.65 from 38 first-class matches. His call-up comes after he finished with 5 for 54 in the ongoing second unofficial Test against South Africa A in Benoni.

India succumbed to a massive defeat in the first Test in Centurion inside three days and will hope to bounce back in the second Test and level the series. They handed a debut to Prasidh Krishna in Centurion but the Karnataka bowler and managed just one wicket, but conceded at nearly five an over. Another call India may have to make is whether to include Ravindra Jadeja, who missed the first Test due to a niggle, into the XI. 

Previously, an injury in the ODI series had also ruled Ruturaj Gaikwad out of the Test series, with Bengal skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran taking his place in the squad.

The Cape Town Test will get underway from January 3 onwards.

India’s squad for 2nd Test: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (wk, vc), Prasidh Krishna, KS Bharat (wk), Abhimanyu Easwaran, Avesh Khan