Mumbai all-rounder Kotian earns call-up to Indian team ahead of Melbourne Test: Sources

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Mumbai’s off-spin all-rounder Tanush Kotian has earned a call-up to join the Indian team ahead of the Boxing Day Test in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting in Melbourne on Thursday. Sources have told IANS that Kotian, who’s currently representing Mumbai in the league stage matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Ahmedabad, will depart for Australia on Tuesday afternoon. “Axar Patel was supposed to go to Australia, but with the birth of his first child, he’s gone back home and Kotian has been asked to join the Test team in Melbourne,” the source said.

Kotian is currently one of the best off-spin all-rounders in the Indian domestic circuit. He was previously part of the India A team which toured Australia for two four-day matches in Mackay and Melbourne ahead of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, currently tied at 1-1.

Kotian's first call-up to the Test team comes after veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket following the rain-hit third Test ending in a draw at the Gabba, Brisbane. He will now be one of the three spin-bowling all-rounder options for India alongside the off-spin of Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin.

While Sundar played the first Test in Perth, Jadeja featured in the third Test at Brisbane. In the 2023/24 Ranji Trophy, Kotian picked 29 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 16.96. He also amassed 502 runs with the bat, including five half-centuries and one century to earn Player of the Tournament in Mumbai's 42nd Ranji title triumph.

Overall, Kotian has played 33 first-class matches – scoring 2,523 runs at an average of 41.21, while picking 101 wickets and averaging 25.7, including three five-wicket hauls. In Monday’s Group C match of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Kotian was named Player of the Match after an all-round showing of 2-38 and making 39 not out off 37 balls with the bat to give Mumbai a three-wicket victory.