India skipper Rohit Sharma hinted on Tuesday about the inclusion of pace prodigy Mayank Yadav and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy in the Test squad.

Both Mayank and Nitish were members of India's T20I squad in the just-finished three-match series against Bangladesh. While Nitish scored 74 runs off 34 deliveries in the second T20I, Mayank was equally excellent with the ball, striking four times in three games for an economy of slightly under seven.

Speaking ahead of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Rohit said, “I understand they have not played that much. We want to create bench strength. If we want to fast-track someone, we want to fast-track them.”

“If someone gets injured we want them to step in. Nice to have them around, have a chat, and see how they see test cricket. It's important to try and build them gradually. Trying to monitor them and what they can offer,” he added.

The duo has been added to the traveling reserves for the upcoming three-match Test series alongside Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.

Mayank advanced up the ranks after frequently scoring in the 150s while playing for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League. Nitish also played an important part in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) reaching the final.

India’s squad for the three Tests against New Zealand

Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep

Travelling Reserves: Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna

(PTI inputs)