Hanuma Vihari, a former regular member of the Indian Test side, particularly on away tours, is excluded from the team for the upcoming West Indies tour. Despite his notable performances and gritty displays in the past, the 29-year-old middle-order batsman has been left out since his last appearance for India in July 2022.
Vihari recently spoke about his disappointment over being dropped and the lack of communication from the selectors regarding the reasons behind his omission. As India looks to build a new opening partnership for the Test series, young left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal is set to join captain Rohit Sharma at the top.
Hanuma Vihari expressed disappointment and confusion over being dropped from the Indian Test side. The middle-order batsman, known for his tenacity and resilience, had not received any explanation or communication from the selectors regarding his exclusion. Vihari admitted that not knowing the reasons behind his omission was his most bothersome aspect.
“Definitely, there was disappointment. I didn’t find a reason why I was dropped; it was the only thing bothering me. Nobody really contacted me and told me the reasons why I was dropped. It took some time, and I have gone through ups and downs, and I’m not worried about it now. I’ve put aside my personal side of things, and I don’t take too much stress about whether I’m in the Indian team or not. There are other matches to win, which is about winning the trophies.” Vihari told The Indian Express.
India’s captain, Rohit Sharma, confirmed that there would be a new opening partner for him in the first Test against the West Indies. The two-match series, which marks the beginning of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, will see 21-year-old left-hander Yashasvi Jaiswal partnering with Sharma at the top. Jaiswal has had a successful year in white-ball cricket, impressive with his performances in the 2023 IPL and consistent form in First-Class cricket.
With Cheteshwar Pujara not selected for the West Indies tour, Rohit Sharma revealed that his current opening partner, Shubman Gill, will move down to the number 3 position. Gill, who preferred batting at number 3, discussed his desire with coach Rahul Dravid. This decision fulfills Gill’s wish and creates a left-right opening combination, providing the team with a balance. Rohit Sharma hoped that Gill would make the number 3 spot his own and contribute significantly to the team’s success.
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“Gill will play at number 3 because Gill himself wants to play at number 3. He discussed with Rahul (Dravid) that I have played all my cricket at 3 and 4. I think I can do better for my team if I bat at number 3. And it is good for us too because it becomes an opening combination of left and right,” Rohit said in a pre-match press conference ahead of the first Test.
“So I think we will try to do this and hopefully this will go on for a long time. Because we have been looking for a left-hander for many years. So now that we have got that left-hander, let’s hope he performs well for the team. And he can really make that spot his own,” Rohit added.
