Kolkata : BCCI has announced Indian Test team for England tour which will be led by new young captain Shubman Gill , replacing legendary Rohit Sharma who recently retired from the format. Karun Nair also makes return into the side having last played for Indian test team in 2017 against Australia. He comes after great domestic seasons. Allrounder Shardul Thakur also made a return after 2 years.
Rishabh Pant is appointed as vice captain as Ajit Agarkar (head of the selection panel) said Jasprit Bumrah, who was India’s vice-captain on the recent tour of Australia, was unlikely to play all five Tests in England due to workload management and that was a factor in him not being given the captaincy.
Technically strong youngster Sai Sudarshan who has scored piles of runs in domestic and IPL along with Bengal Cricket veteran Abhimanyu Easwaran, have made it into the squad, after magnificent red ball domestic seasons.
Left arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has earned maiden call up in longest format. Rest of the pace department comprises of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep Singh, Nitish Reddy.
The Batting lineup of Indian team looks strong with skipper Gill, Sudarshan, vice captain Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, KL Rahul, Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar.
India took only 3 spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, owing to pacy english conditions.
The series is India’s first since the retirements of Rohit, Ravi Ashwin and Virat Kohli from Test cricket.
India did not include Mohammed Shami, who had not yet built up to Test match workloads during his recovery from the ankle surgery he had in February last year.
Regarding Shami’s exclusion Agarkar said, “He is not fit at the moment to be picked. He had an MRI and there are some new setbacks. It is unfortunate”.
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The five Tests against England will be India’s first in the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. They will play the first Test at Headingley (from June 20), the second at Edgbaston (from July 2), the third at Lord’s (from July 10), the fourth at Old Trafford (from July 23), and the final at The Oval (from July 31).
They will begin the tour with a four-day match against India A at Beckenham on the outskirts of London between June 13 and 16.
Overall it can be said that this is the commencement of new era in Indian Test Cricket.
India Test squad for England :
Shubman Gill (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (vc, wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh.
