AHMEDABAD, April 6: India bolstered their bowling attack for next week’s third and final Test against South Africa by including fit-again paceman Ishant Sharma and recalling medium-pacer Munaf Patel to a 16-man squad on Sunday.

The 19-year-old Sharma has been out of action since returning from an impressive tour of Australia, due to injuries to his foot and finger, and missed the first two Tests against South Africa, while Munaf last played a Test in December.

The visitors went 1-0 up in the three-Test series on Saturday after winning the second game in Ahmedabad by an innings and 90 runs inside three days.

Indian selectors also recalled off-spinner Ramesh Powar in the squad.

“The team is keen to play three spinners and hence Powar has been added to the line-up,” Indian board secretary Niranjan Shah told reporters.

Powar, who has played two Tests, has been named partly as cover for skipper and leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who suffered a groin strain in the drawn first Test and did not seem fully fit in the second.

Shah said both Sharma and Kumble would be subject to fitness tests on April 10, a day before the final Test starts in Kanpur.

The hosts will be without talismanic batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who aggravated a groin injury in the first Test which ruled him out of the remaining part of the series.

Squad: Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Ishant Sharma, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel.—Reuters

Opinion

Editorial

Terrorism challenge
Updated 05 Mar, 2025

Terrorism challenge

Pakistan has few options but to cooperate on the counterterrorism issue with Kabul.
Ad ban
Updated 05 Mar, 2025

Ad ban

This publication always takes into consideration multiple angles when making editorial decisions.
Demand for solar power
05 Mar, 2025

Demand for solar power

A GREAT solar rush across Pakistan is transforming the nation’s energy landscape. Households and businesses are...
IMF scrutiny
Updated 04 Mar, 2025

IMF scrutiny

Boosting economic stability, flows from multilateral agencies, and sovereign credit rating upgrade depend on IMF review's success.
Diplomatic protocol
04 Mar, 2025

Diplomatic protocol

IT is a fact that KP — which shares a long border with Afghanistan — is directly affected by cross-border...
Polio politics
04 Mar, 2025

Polio politics

THE dispute between the centre and Punjab over the detection of polio cases in Mandi Bahauddin is unnecessary and...