India vs England: Gambhir dropped, Bhuvneshwar included for remaining three Tests

NEW DELHI: India's selectors have made one change to the squad for the remaining three Tests against England, dropping batsman Gautam Gambhir and adding seam bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Gambhir had been released from the squad for the second Test in Visakhapatnam to try and hit form in the ongoing Ranji Trophy - one of head coach Anil Kumble's mandates - but was not recalled with KL Rahul back in the side.

Bhuvneshwar has been recalled after proving his fitness from the injury sustained during the New Zealand Tests last month. He played Uttar Pradesh's last Ranji Trophy match against defending champions Mumbai in Mysore, where he bowled 36 overs and claimed 2/80.

Gambhir, having been recalled to the Test team against New Zealand, made 29 and 0 against England in Rajkot and made way for the returning Rahul in Visakhapatnam. Leading Delhi against Rajasthan in the interim, the 35-year-old made 10 off 46



balls.

Shikhar Dhawan, his opening partner in Wayanad, scored 38 off 51 balls. Dhawan suffered a minor thumb fracture during the New Zealand Tests and the ongoing Ranji match against Rajasthan is his first match in over three weeks since he was ruled out of the Indore Test versus New Zealand. He remains on the fringes of selection.

Amit Mishra was retained as the fourth spinner despite a poor match in Rajkot. He had match figures of 3/158 and made a duck with the bat and was dropped for the second Test with Haryana team-mate Jayant Yadav making his debut. Yadav had a fine outing, scoring crucial lower-order runs (35 and 27*), taking three wickets with his offspin and effecting the run-out of Haseeb Hameed during England's first innings. Playing in the seventh round of the Ranji Trophy, Mishra claimed 4/147 from 48 overs in Goa's first innings in Ghaziabad. It was his first Ranji match for Haryana since February 2015.