Shubman Gill will lead India in the five-match Test series against England starting Friday. This tour marks the beginning of a new phase in Indian Test cricket.

Senior Stars Step Away

Recently, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from Test cricket. Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin stepped down midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. While Ashwin has ended his career, Rohit and Kohli will continue playing ODIs.

Meanwhile, selectors left out senior pacer Mohammed Shami. They believe he isn’t fit enough to handle the demands of a full Test series.

Team Faces a Tough Challenge

With four experienced players missing, India’s task becomes harder. However, the team still has players like Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant. These players bring valuable experience to the squad.

In addition, Karun Nair makes a comeback after strong domestic performances. Sai Sudharsan, a promising top-order batter, is on his first Test tour.

Bumrah Leads the Bowling Attack

Furthermore, Jasprit Bumrah will lead the pace unit. He will be supported by Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, and Arshdeep Singh. Notably, the selectors have added Harshit Rana as another fast bowling option for the first Test.

Changes in the Batting Order

Since Rohit has retired, KL Rahul may open with Yashasvi Jaiswal. Rahul has batted at multiple positions and has proved his skill over time.

Vice-captain Rishabh Pant confirmed that Shubman Gill will bat at No.4, replacing Kohli. As a result, the No.3 position is up for grabs. Either Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sudharsan could fill that role.

Pant will bat at No.5. Karun Nair is expected to follow him at No.6. Then, Jadeja will bat at No.7. Shardul Thakur is likely to be picked over Nitish Reddy as the fast-bowling allrounder.

India’s Probable XI

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna