NZ Tour: Pandya fails fitness test, Gill or Rahul for 3rd opener

Mumbai: All-rounder Hardik Pandya failed fitness test and had to be replaced by Vijay Shankar for the upcoming six-week tour of New Zealand.
Starting January 24, India will be playing five T20 Internationals, three ODIs and two Test matches, and squads for the tour will be picked on Sunday.
India will be playing eight white ball games in New Zealand, and it will be interesting to see if the selectors pick a 16 or 17-member squad, instead of 15.
With the India A team’s shadow tour coinciding with the seniors’ visit, it gives the selectors an option to draft players on SOS basis if the need arises.
The selectors will primarily focus on zeroing in on the core for white ball cricket considering that this is a T20 World Cup year.
India all-rounder Hardik Pandya had to be removed from the India ‘A team that is headed to New Zealand after he failed the fitness test in Mumbai on Saturday.
All-rounder Vijay Shankar has been picked as replacement and is headed to New Zealand where the team will play two 50-over warm-up games, three List A games and two four-day unofficial Tests. Speaking to IANS, a source in the know of developments confirmed the same.
“Yes, unfortunately, Pandya has failed the fitness test and has been withdrawn from the team. Vijay Shankar is on the flight to New Zealand in his place,” the source said.
The India ‘A’ team doesn’t undergo the Yo-Yo test anymore, but Pandya failed the mandatory fitness test that a player undergoes while making a comeback post rehabilitation.It will be interesting to note if the ODI team is an extension of the T20 squad. The weakest link in the ODI team is Kedar Jadhav, who has managed to hold onto his 50 over slot despite not so impressive performances recently and amid pressure to replace him.
In New Zealand, Jadhav’s technical frailties could be exposed and his lack of overs in recent times makes him a case for exclusion. In case the Indian team looks for technical solidity, Ajinkya Rahane could make a comeback, but if the team management is thinking in terms of treating 50 over games as an extension of T20 series, Mumbai player Suryakumar Yadav’s explosive power hitting at No. 5 or 6 could be an option.
Both Surya and Sanju Samson are in the A squad.
The Test squad wears a very settled look with the only contention being the third opener’s slot.
Picked as a reserve for the home series, the young Shubman Gill deserves to be the third opener, but K L Rahul’s current form and experience in Test cricket could also be considered.
The selectors will also deliberate on if a third spinner (Kuldeep Yadav) is needed for the two-match Test series instead of a fifth pacer (Navdeep Saini) to accompany Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma. (PTI)