Leeds [UK], June 18: As India prepares for the highly anticipated Test series against England starting June 20, several members of the squad are expected to benefit from their past county cricket experience in English conditions.
New India Test captain Shubman Gill had a brief but productive stint with Glamorgan in 2022, where he scored 244 runs in just 3 matches at an average of 61.00, including a century (119) and a half-century.
Sai Sudharsan, representing Surrey, showed his potential with 281 runs in 5 matches at an average of 35.12, which included a century (105) and a fifty, proving his ability to adjust to unfamiliar English pitches.
Karun Nair, with Northamptonshire, enjoyed a rich vein of form, scoring 736 runs in 10 matches at a healthy average of 56.61. His performance featured two centuries, including a highest score of 202*, and four half-centuries.
All-rounder Washington Sundar, playing for Lancashire in 2022, took 8 wickets in just 2 matches at an average of 24.75, with best figures of 5/76. Though his batting returns were modest, his bowling impact was noteworthy.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh, who played for Kent in 2023, collected 13 wickets across 5 matches. While his average of 41.76 was on the higher side, his swing and control in English conditions added depth to India’s pace attack.
These players’ familiarity with English pitches and conditions may prove crucial as India — currently the world’s fourth-ranked Test team — begins the five-match series.
Notably, India enters the series without stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom retired from Test cricket last month. Additionally, veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will also be missing after retiring during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year.
India’s Test Squad:
Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
England’s Playing XI for 1st Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.
With rising stars stepping into the spotlight, the series promises to be an engaging contest between two evolving Test sides