Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan have, however, recently embraced opportunities in the middle order. Padikkal batted at No. 4 on Test debut against England earlier this year in Dharamsala.

Thakur, who picked up the injury during India's tour of South Africa late last year, hasn't played any professional cricket since IPL 2024. With a tour of Australia coming up, he will be hoping to bounce back into contention He last played for India in the first Test in Centurion in that South Africa series., before returning to perform for Mumbai during the Ranji knockouts.

Rest of India: Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), Abhimanyu Easwaran (vice-capt), B Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel (wk)*, Ishan Kishan (wk), Manav Suthar, Saransh Jain, Prasidh Krishna, Mukesh Kumar, Yash Dayal*, Ricky Bhui, Shashwat Rawat, Khaleel Ahmed, Rahul Chahar.

Mumbai: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), Prithvi Shaw, Ayush Mhatre, Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan*, Shreyas Iyer, Siddhesh Lad, Suryansh Shedge, Hardik Tamore (wk), Sidhaant Addhatrao (wk), Shams Mulani, Tanush Kotian, Himanshu Singh, Shardul Thakur, Mohit Avasthi, Mohammad Juned Khan, Royston Dias.

*Selected for Irani Cup subject to not being picked in India's XI in Kanpur Test