Srikar Bharat In Line For a Test Spot Against West Indies

With the ICC World Cup 2019 done and dusted, India will shift their focus on the upcoming tour to West Indies starting from August 3. The series will commence with three T20Is followed by the ODIs and Tests. Young wicket-keeper batsman Srikar Bharat, who has been a consistent run-scorer for India A is in line to get a debut call-up during the series against West Indies.

Bharat in line for a national call-up

The selectional panel headed by MSK Prasad will sit for one last time to pick the squads on July 21. If there is an award for an India-A player of the year, the 25-year-old Srikar Bharat would be among the front-runners. Rishabh Pant, who made his Test debut in the last year in England, would be the first-choice wicketkeeper for the Test series. On the other hand, veteran wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha will also be a contender for the spot.

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In the last 12 months, Srikar Bharat has played 11 unofficial Tests against the ‘A’ teams of West Indies, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England Lions, scoring 686 runs with three centuries and two half-centuries. He also registered 41 catches and effected six stumpings. Overall he has an impressive record of 65 first-class matches, 3798 runs with eight centuries, 20 fifties and 223 catches and 27 stumpings and thus has made a strong claim for a Test squad spot.

Bharat is in the India A squad for the Test series against West Indies A along with Wriddhiman Saha. The Bengal cricketer who last played a Test in January 2018 against South Africa will look to make a comeback from the shoulder injury. He made a comeback during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy followed by the Indian Premier League for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Srikar Bharat will look for a good show in the Caribbean Island for a Test spot.

The three-match Test series which is a part of the World Test Championship will start from  August 22.

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