New Delhi: Men’s Select Committee, headed by Ajit Agarkarhe has to pick the squad for the upcoming matches in Sri Lanka, starting on August 15 in Galle. Informal discussions took place on the sidelines of the white-ball tour of England, and a formal meeting will soon be held on the priority list. It has been learned that the selectors are waiting for the clarity of Washington Sundar, who injured himself during three ODI Tests. The all-rounder was forced to miss the selector at Lord’s and has to look to the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) for clearance.An official statement from the Indian cricket team has revealed a right hamstring injury. TimesofIndia.com has learned that even though the pain subsided when he reached London, he was asked to undergo tests, which he later shared with experts to find out. It’s also understood that even if it’s just a pull or a Category 1 injury, the 26-year-old could take two weeks to get back to full fitness. Since the Indian team is scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka on August 4 to start their preparations, it is clear how the selectors will deal with the problem in Washington. The Shubman Gill-led team will also have a practice session four days before the Galle Test.The squad from the one-off Test against Afghanistan last month is likely to change, as Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja are expected to return. It remains to be seen if Harsh Dubey will retain his place if Washington is no longer fit, or if the selectors will pick a pacer like Saransh Jain to continue to dominate the game. Manav Suthar and Kuldeep Yadav are expected to remain in their places, while the attack is expected to consist of Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna. Jadeja was not selected for the post-IPL series against Afghanistan, but Agarkar insisted the all-rounder remains the “no. 1 spinner in the country”. In terms of batting, the usual names will continue, and a decision should be made on all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Sundar. Will the selectors pick a seam-rounder who is being redrafted in the CoE, or will they look for a specialist? A number of these phones will be interesting for what promises to be a highly anticipated group.India have struggled in Tests under head coach Gautam Gambhir, after being cleaned out by New Zealand and South Africa at home. They need a warm-up game in Sri Lanka to keep their chances of the World Test Championship final alive. After the tour of Sri Lanka, India will play New Zealand, in New Zealand, before hosting Australia in five Tests at home.
