Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has shared his predicted India’s playing XI for the first Test against England, which starts on 20 June at Headingley, Leeds.
India’s squad features a mix of seasoned players and promising newcomers, with the Test also marking Shubman Gill’s debut as captain. The selectors and team management face a few tricky decisions ahead of the opening match.
Sharing his thoughts on the ICC Review, Shastri highlighted the importance of stability at the top of the order and backed the left-right combination of Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul to open the innings.
“I’d start with Jaiswal and KL Rahul. This is a crucial tour for Rahul. He’s the most experienced batter in the squad and had a good tour last time in England, including a century,” Shastri explained. “At No. 3, I’d pick the youngster Sai Sudharsan. From what I’ve seen, he’s a bright prospect and this tour would be invaluable for his development.”
Shastri also included returning Karun Nair at No. 5, praising his recent domestic performances: “Depending on current form, Karun would bat at five. He’s been out of the national side for a while but has made a strong case with consistent runs in first-class cricket.”
He picked Rishabh Pant to keep wickets and bat at No. 6, while Ravindra Jadeja slots in at seven, offering depth with both bat and ball.
Toss up between Shardul and Nitish: Shastri
On the bowling front, Shastri leaned towards a pace-heavy attack, suggesting a combination of three frontline quicks alongside either Shardul Thakur or Nitish Kumar Reddy, based on their bowling workload and batting utility.
“It’ll be a close call between Thakur and Reddy. If Reddy can bowl 12 to 14 overs in a day, his batting might give him the edge. Among the seamers, I’d go with Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and either Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep Singh, especially if conditions are overcast in Leeds,” he said.
Shastri’s predicted playing XI for the first Test:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
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