'I said this when he made his T20I debut...': Rashid Latif names 23-year-old in surprising pick for Indian Test team
The youngster is an integral part of the Indian T20I side but is yet to receive a call-up for the longest format.
Team India will face a tough test when it takes on Australia in a four-match Test series, starting February 9. The side is currently second in the World Test Championship table, with Australia comfortably seated at the top. India have won the last three editions of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy – the official name of the Test series between both nations – and Pat Cummins' men will be aiming for a strong comeback against the hosts.
India had announced the squad for the first two Tests of the series last month; while Jasprit Bumrah continues to remain absent as he nurses his back injury, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Jaydev Unadkat have been named as the four pacers for the side. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif, however, has suggested a unique name for the Indian Test squad – Arshdeep Singh.
Arshdeep has been an integral part of the Indian team in the shortest format of the game, and Latif believes the left-arm young pacer could be a good fit in Tests.
“Arshdeep Singh has to be in this format. He invites the batter to play. I had said this when he entered the Indian T20 setup. He has a good release, his balls move inward and away. He can really trouble the batters,” Latif said on his official YouTube channel.
The 23-year-old pacer has made 26 appearances in the shortest format for the side so far, and played three ODIs – having made his debut against England in July last year.
Earlier, as part of the preparation, the Australian team had hired Maheesh Pithiya a 21-year-old spinner who bears an eerie likeness to Ravichandran Ashwin. Even as Pithiya's career developed to see him make his first-class debut for Baroda in December, his approach has stayed uncannily similar to Ashwin's, who will be one of Australia's biggest bowling threats during the four-Test series, which begins next week in Nagpur.