Shubman Gill had suffered a neck injury on the second day of the first Test in Kolkata and had to be hospitalised for a couple days.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Ashes Test in Adelaide on Sunday.
Pant, who will lead India A, is returning after a three-month absence because of a foot injury which he sustained in July in England, and now the 28-year-old southpaw is aiming to get back to the national fold during the two-match Test series against the Proteas.
'My focus is to keep motivating the guys so that we continue playing positive cricket and turn around our current situation.'
Middle-order batter Kavem Hodge returns to the Test squad but there was no room for Khary Pierre with spin bowling expected to play a limited role in the series.
Bangla Inside Story: Players kept mum in-front of Nazrul, BCB's annual income could dwindle by 60%
India, however, went to Gabba and scripted a record chase of 328 with 19 balls remaining on the final day for a thrilling three-wicket win, which also sealed the series.
Irfan Pathan has added fresh fuel to it with a stinging remark aimed at Jasprit Bumrah, using Pat Cummins' Ashes-first approach as an example of how elite pacers should handle their schedules.
The Indian team's heavy reliance on all-rounders will be tested by a plucky Australia in the second ODI but the spotlight will continue to stay firmly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom would look to turn back the clock with series-saving knocks in Adelaide on Thursday.
Will Sai Sudarshan or Abhimanyu Easwaran bat at No. 3?
'They are up their own backsides convinced that Test cricket has changed so much that only they know anything about the modern game.'
India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel, who played in the fifth and final Test at The Oval against England in their last assignment, has been named Iyer's deputy.
Bumrah steps aside from Test captaincy race; Gill, Pant now leading contenders
South African stand-in captain Aiden Markram said home side Pakistan were well within their rights to prepare extreme turning wickets for their two-Test series, which starts in Lahore on Sunday, as they did last year to beat England.
De Kock last played for South Africa at the Twenty20 World Cup, where he opted to sit out their second group game following a board order to take a knee in support of the "Black Lives Matter" movement.
South Africa's stunning three-day win over India at Eden Gardens has drawn reactions from some of cricket's biggest names, with AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis and Dale Steyn celebrating the historic result while Kevin Pietersen used the collapse-filled Test to launch a scathing critique of modern batting.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, arrived in Delhi on Tuesday and linked up with rest of the Indian team, many of whom were playing in the two-Test series against West Indies.
England captain Ben Stokes has called for his teammates to 'show a bit of dog' as they look to fight back from two losses in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide from Tuesday.
'There is no particular style that I have to follow. I have played so much cricket so far and everyone knows my style of playing.'
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for Thursday's second ODI against Australia?
Siraj dismissed Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton before bowling Gus Atkinson to end the match.
Bazball is in the firing line, with former players and pundits decrying the high-risk game on Australia's spicy pitches.
India Test captain Shubman Gill indicated that the team is moving away from its preference for rank turners in home Test matches.
Mohammed Siraj added another milestone to his growing Test resum by becoming only the second Indian bowler to take 20 or more wickets in a Test series in England
Virat Kohli smashed record-extending 52nd ODI to guide India to a 17-run win in the series opener, getting India off to a winning start in their three-match series.
The Indian players are currently on a break and will reassemble on July 14.
Former players Irfan Pathan and Venkatesh Prasad have questioned the Indian team's muddled approach, lack of stability and the increasing reliance on all-rounders.
The legendary Ricky Pointing has advised Australia all-rounder Cameron Green to keep things simple and not over analyse or tinker with his game in order to find the right approach in Tests.
Shubman Gill etched his name in the record books after becoming only the third captain in the history of Test cricket to score four centuries in a series.
The senior Indian seamer had previously returned seven wickets in their previous match against Uttarakhand, and he now has 15 wickets in just two matches.
Virat Kohli went past the iconic Sachin Tendulkar as the fastest to reach 16,000 runs in List A cricket, achieving the milestone in his 330th innings during the Vijay Hazare Trophy match in Bengaluru.
'We haven't got everything right. I haven't got everything right as a coach and I put my hand up for that.'
Australia paceman Josh Hazlewood's hopes of playing in the third Ashes Test in Adelaide have dimmed after he suffered a new injury setback during his recovery from a hamstring strain.
Devdutt Padikkal sets sights on Test opportunity with upcoming red-ball series
Australia's Usman Khawaja has declared himself fit for the third Ashes Test against England next week, brushing aside speculation about his future and saying he will keep playing as long as he is valued by the team.
Shastri added that Shreyas Iyer, who has had a tremendous run in white-ball cricket for India as well as in the IPL, is another player who could get selected for the England tour, but would face stiff competition.
'We cannot say suddenly that Crawley and Pope have solved the technical and mental issues that have dogged their careers because the Zimbabwe bowling was so average.'
Gautam Gambhir's penchant for shuffling cricketers has often come under sharp scrutiny, but the head coach insisted that "batting order is overrated" in white ball cricket, strongly hinting of him sticking to his trusted ways.
Jasprit Bumrah had fans in splits when he hilariously fumed at paparazzi calling him their 'Diwali bonus' outside Mumbai airport
India's first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev says a modern-day head coach's role is more about "managing" players than actually coaching them, amid criticism surrounding Gautam Gambhir's working style.
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