India, May 30 -- When the India A team takes on the England Lions starting today at Canterbury, Sarfaraz Khan will have a point to prove to the selectors who dropped him from India's senior Test squad. He and Shreyas Iyer were the two notable omissions as chairman of the BCCI's selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, unveiled India's 18-member squad that will tour England to play five Tests, beginning June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

No one, barring the selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir, is aware of the nuances behind the decision-making, more so because with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's retirements, two slots are up for grabs. Iyer and Sarfaraz, both of whom played for India as recently as last year, were supposed to be automatic picks,...