The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nominated fast bowler Avesh Khan as a replacement for injured fast bowler Mohammed Shami for the second test against South Africa on Friday.
Shami was named to the inaugural tour squad, pending a physical. The BCCI medical experts, however, disagreed, and he was later ruled out of the series.
The replacement was named by BCCI following the first test at Centurion. Avesh grabbed six wickets in three one-day internationals earlier this month in South Africa. Avesh has 149 first-class wickets in 38 matches, including seven five-wicket hauls.
India’s bowling performance was also lacking, as the squad surrendered 408 runs in the first inning. Despite the Centurion’s bowling-friendly conditions, no other bowler seemed dangerous except from Jasprit Bumrah, who grabbed four wickets. Debutant Prasidh Krishna was underwhelming, conceding 93 runs in 20 overs while picking up a wicket, while Shardul Thakur was much more costly, conceding 1/101 in just 19 overs.
Perhaps the team management felt obligated to put in an additional pacer as India looks to level the two-match series.
Avesh has yet to play a Test match for India, but he did take six wickets in three One-Day Internationals against South Africa.Avesh also took 4/27 in the opening ODI, dismissing the Proteas for 116.
Khan has appeared in 8 One-Day Internationals and 19 Twenty20 Internationals so far, and while a Test cap has eluded him thus far, the right-arm bowler has a strong first-class record with Madhya Pradesh. In 38 games, the 27-year-old has 149 wickets at 22.65.
His most recent first-class appearance came for the Central Zone in the Deodhar Trophy in July of this year.
South Africa, termed the “final frontier,” is the only place where India has yet to win a test series in the longest format.
