Ojha leads strong India A touring party

A host of rising India stars that starred in series wins against Zimbabwe will travel to Queensland with the India A squad lead by veteran wicketkeeper batsman Naman Ojha.

India legend Rahul Dravid will continue as coach of the India A team that will face Australia and South Africa in a winter series following the appointment of Anil Kumble as the senior men's team head coach last week.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ojha was part of the India A team toured Australia in the 2014 winter, where he scored a double-century and century in a four-day match at Brisbane's Allan Border field.

Ojha replaces Unmukt Chand as the India A skipper. Chand led India A to victory against Bangladesh A in the sides previous one-day series last September but was not included in the squad to travel to Australia.

The core of the India A squad features a host of players who featured in India's limited-overs teams on the recent tour of Zimbabwe where many big-name stars were rested.

Faiz Fazal – who scored an unbeaten 55 on his India debut against Zimbabwe joins the likes of Karun Nair, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav and Barinder Sran who were all included in the A team from the Zimbabwe touring party.

Shreyas Iyer, India's second-top scorer from their domestic first-class competition, the Ranji Trophy, has also been included after he was overlooked for India's Test squad to travel to the West Indies. Iyer scored 1414 first-class runs last season.

Varun Aaron, who played two of his nine Tests against Australia in the 2014-15 summer, is expected to lead the fast-bowling attack, while the Ranji Trophy's most prolific wicket-taker, the left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, was also included. Nadeem took 51 wickets in the 2015-16 Raji Trophy.

India A squad: Naman Ojha (capt), Faiz Fazal, Akhil Herwadkar, Shreyas Iyer, Karun Nair, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Varun Aaron, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Barinder Sran, Shahbaz Nadeem, Sanju Samson.

Australia A squad: Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Scott Boland, Cameron Boyce, Pat Cummins, Travis Dean, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Sam Heazlett, Moises Henriques, Jake Lehmann, Chris Lynn, Joe Mennie, Kurtis Patterson, Joel Paris, Matt Renshaw, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Dan Worrall, Sam Whiteman.

South Africa A four-day squad: Stephen Cook (c), Qaasim Adams, Temba Bavuma, Dean Elgar, Heino Kuhn, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Duanne Olivier, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Vernon Philander, Dane Piedt, Omphile Ramela, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas, Hardus Viljoen 

South Africa A one-day squad: Wayne Parnell (c), Qaasim Adams, Marchant de Lange, Reeza Hendricks, Heino Kuhn, Eddie Leie, Sisanda Magala, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Rilee Rossouw, Malusi Siboto, Khaya Zondo, David Miller, Dane Vilas 

Fixtures

Four-day matches 

30 July – 2 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
6 August – 9 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville

One-day Series

13 August, South Africa A v NPS, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
14 August, Australia A v India A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
16 August, Australia A v NPS, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
17 August, South Africa A v India A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
20 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
21 August, India A v NPS, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
24 August, NPS v Australia A, Harrup Park, Mackay
25 August, South Africa A v India A, Harrup Park, Mackay
27 August, NPS v India A, Harrup Park, Mackay
28 August, Australia A v South Africa A, Harrup Park, Mackay
30 August, Australia A v India A, Harrup Park, Mackay
31 August, South Africa A v NPS, Harrup Park, Mackay
3 September; Final 3 v 4, Harrup Park, Mackay
4 September, Final 1 v 2, Harrup Park, Mackay

Four-day matches

8-11 September, Australia A v India A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane
15-18 September, Australia A v India A, Allan Border Field, Brisbane