The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has unveiled its 18-member squad for the highly anticipated five-match Test series against Australia, set to commence in Perth on November 22. New faces, including Abhimanyu Easwaran, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Rana, highlight India’s bolstered lineup as they prepare to face their formidable rivals.

A notable absence from the squad is veteran pacer Mohammed Shami, who has been racing against time to recover from a lingering ankle injury. Although Shami’s rehabilitation seemed promising, a recent knee swelling has ruled him out. Another major exclusion is left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who is reportedly grappling with a chronic groin issue and has been directed to the BCCI Centre of Excellence for extended rehabilitation after the ongoing Test series against New Zealand.

In the pace department, India will travel with a robust lineup featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, and the returning Prasidh Krishna, who last played in South Africa. Prasidh’s selection follows an impressive domestic comeback after a lengthy recovery from a stress fracture.

Among the emerging stars, Bengal’s Abhimanyu Easwaran earned his place as a third-choice opener alongside skipper Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal, rewarded for his consistent domestic performances. All-rounder Washington Sundar also secured his spot after an impressive performance in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand, where he took seven wickets in the first innings in Pune.

Seamer Harshit Rana joins the Test squad after a stellar year, which saw him lift the IPL title and earn a spot in the white-ball squads. Andhra Pradesh’s Nitish Reddy, a medium-pace all-rounder, is another fresh addition, having made an impact in the T20 series against Bangladesh.

The spin contingent includes seasoned stalwarts Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, though Axar Patel has not been included. For pace backup, Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, and Khaleel Ahmed will be available as reserves.

India's squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar.

Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed.