The uncapped allrounder Hardik Pandya has been included in a 15-member squad on Wednesday for the first two Tests against England, starting in Rajkot on November 9.
However, the opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan and middle-order batsman Rohit Sharma both have been ruled out due to injury, the country’s cricket board said on Wednesday.
Pandya, 23, who bowls pretty good, made his ODI debut for India in the recent series against New Zealand and has now been advanced to the longer format.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will be the marquee players in spin attack against the English batsmen, who had a difficult time in their drawn two-test series in Bangladesh recently.
India Squad: Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav.