Pandya released, India retain 15 for last two Tests

Pandya will play for Baroda in the quarter-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Pandya was released during the first Test also and he played three league games. 

With the Ranchi wicket expected to be on the slower side, there is very little possibility of Pandya making the cut in the playing XI. 

Opener Murali Vijay, who has suffered a shoulder injury missing the second Test match has been kept in the squad of 15 and is expected to get fit before the start of the third Test in Ranchi from March 16.

Squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.

All-rounder Marcus Stoinis was called up for Australia’s two remaining tests in India on the strength of his bowling and previous performances in the region, interim chief selector Trevor Hohns said on Thursday. 

The uncapped Stoinis, who is playing a Sheffield Shield contest in Alice Springs for Victoria, has been named as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh and will leave for India after the match. 

“When we looked at the various options we had to replace Mitch there were two or three people that came to mind of course,” Hohns told reporters. 

Stoinis played seven games for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League last year and the 27-year-old also toured India with Australia A in 2015, averaging 48 with the bat and taking three wickets in two first-class matches.