India’s tour of Australia ended with a 1-3 defeat with their next Test series nearly five months away. We look at the changes the side could make against England.
Batters: Sai Sudarshan, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal
The big news will be Rohit Sharma's absence. Having missed the SCG Test, it seems unlikely that a return is on the cards. Though India lost that Test under Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit’s lack of form with the bat has been an even greater worry, and we have likely seen the end of the opener in the format.
The other question is over Kohli’s place, with the former skipper falling similarly in all eight dismissals in Australia. However, India would be keen to give him another rope, holding onto him in a relatively inexperienced batting line-up. Kohli did get a hundred at Perth and looked disciplined in more than one innings before giving it away. But time is also ticking on his career, and he needs to rectify the issues with his technique before it’s too late.
Sai Sudarshan has edged ahead of other competitors in making the squad. He has taken rapid strides in first-class cricket and could have made his debut against England last year if not for a back injury. He also has county experience, having played for Surrey across the last two seasons, which furthers his cause for selection.
Wicket-keepers: Rishabh Pant, Dhruv Jurel
Pant is a must-have in the team, while Jurel would have rued out his missed chances against Australia. He was arguably the best batter during the India A games ahead of the series, looking confident against the quicks. Jurel has also left a mark in the four Tests that he has played, averaging 40.4.
All-rounders: Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar
The first message to Reddy after the Australia series would be to work on his bowling, an aspect that could further make him an indispensable member of India’s XI going forward. His selection in the Australia series was much debated: while his batting returns were impressive, he bowled only 44 overs, picking five wickets at an average of 38. It left Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj with a heavy workload, leading to the breakdown of the former on the “spiciest wicket” of the series.
