Galle: Pacer Aquib Nabi will have a point to prove when he takes the field alongside some of the Test regulars in the two match red ball series between India A and Sri Lanka beginning here on Thursday.
Nabi not being considered for the one off Test against Afghanistan after his stellar 60 wickets show in J&K’s historic Ranji Trophy triumph was questioned by his supporters and experts alike.
If the right-arm pacer does well on the docile pitches of Sri Lanka, he would make it tougher for the selectors to keep him out of the national team. After Sri Lanka, India’s next big Test tour is of New Zealand where his style of bowling could come in handy on seam friendly surfaces.
Gurnoor Brar, who made a successful India and ODI debut against Afghanistan, is also part of the squad.
The two Test series in Sri Lanka is expected to favour the spinners but if Brar makes an impact in the A, he could retain his place in the senior squad.
Test regular Dhruv Jurel will captain the side in both games to be played in Galle.
The series will provide a good opportunity for Sai Sudharsan to get runs under his belt which would boost his confidence ahead of the two Tests in August. Devdutt Padikkal did not get to play the Afghanistan game and he is competing for the number three spot with Sudharsan.
Anshul Kamboj, who had a horror Test debut in England last year, is also part of the pace attack. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Harsh Dubey, who recently made his ODI debut, are also part of the touring party.
India A squad for multi-day matches in Sri Lanka: Dhruv Jurel (C & WK), Sai Sudharsan, Ayush Pandey, Devdutt Padikkal (VC), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Harsh Dubey, Saransh Jain, Gurnoor Brar, Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, N Jagadeesan (WK), Aman Mokhade, Shaik Rasheed, Zeeshan Ansari.
