Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi will stay back for India Test preparations against New Zealand, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has confirmed. The three fast bowlers will move straight from the one-day series into red-ball training instead of returning home. Kotak confirmed the plan on Saturday, and the decision keeps the trio with the squad as the Test side begins its build-up. The move is designed to help the team get used to local conditions before the two-match Test series.
The Test squad will begin a dedicated camp on 11 November, and Kotak said five or six focused sessions should be enough to get the side ready. The camp gives the bowlers time to switch from white-ball to red-ball cricket, and the ODI pitches in New Zealand have offered seam and swing that should help with that change. The India Test preparations camp is the first time the three bowlers will work with the red ball on this tour. Head coach Gautam Gambhir will stay with the one-day squad for the rest of that series, while the Test group works separately.
India Test preparations begin on 11 November
The three bowlers have all played a part in the one-day series, and their form made the call an easy one. Arshdeep took four wickets in the first ODI at Eden Park, where New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs, and Gurnoor took three in the same match. Nabi went wicketless in the opener, giving away 33 runs in six overs, but the team management still wants him in the Test group. All three bowlers are part of the India Test preparations group, and the camp will test them against the red ball. India won that match by five wickets, and they lead the five-match series 2-0.
The second ODI in Wellington on 7 November gave India the series lead. New Zealand made 134, and India won by four runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after rain stopped play with the side on 113 for seven. The bowlers had done the damage first, and the win showed how well the attack has adapted to the conditions. The win also helped India Test preparations, with the attack showing it can use the conditions. The third ODI is in Hamilton on Tuesday, 10 November, and India can seal the series there.
Why the three pacers fit India Test preparations
The plan also covers the players who will leave the one-day squad early. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul will miss the last two ODIs so they can prepare for the Tests, and Shreyas Iyer will lead the one-day side for the remaining games. Mohammed Siraj, who was rested for the first two ODIs, is expected to come back into the side in Hamilton. Former India batter Ajay Jadeja has suggested resting Arshdeep for that match to give Siraj a game after his time away.
The ODI series and India Test preparations
The Test series is the longer prize on this tour, and India Test preparations are built around it. The squad has two matches to prepare for, and the bowlers who stay back will get first use of the red ball in New Zealand conditions. The one-day series runs first, and the Tests follow once the white-ball games are done. For Arshdeep, Gurnoor and Nabi, the next few weeks offer a clear run at a place in the Test side.
Arshdeep has been in steady action across formats, and the break from white-ball cricket should help him. Gurnoor has taken his chance in the one-day side, and Nabi has shown enough in domestic cricket to earn a place in the Test group. The three give the Test group cover across left-arm and right-arm pace, and the camp will show how each of them handles the red ball over longer spells.
Kotak’s confirmation settles the question of where the three bowlers will be for the rest of the tour. They will not go home between the two formats, and they will not play domestic cricket in the gap. The camp starts on 11 November, and the sessions that follow will show who is ready when the first Test comes around. The three bowlers now know their place in India Test preparations.