As Shubman Gill steps into the role of India’s Test captain for the upcoming India versus England series, he inherits a team in serious transition with critical decisions looming large. With the first Test at Headingley just two weeks away, the team combination remains a closely guarded secret, as both Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir have stayed tight-lipped during the pre-departure press conference.
With the Indian team set to start a camp at Beckenham from Sunday, a key dilemma revolves around pace-bowling all-rounder’s slot, with Shardul Thakur and Nitish Reddy in contention. However, their recent performances with India A against the England Lions have raised concerns about their readiness.
Thakur and Nitish were the only pace bowlers (or all rounders) from India’s Test squad to feature in the India A matches against the England Lions, as both missed out on IPL playoffs. However, their outings were far from convincing. In the first unofficial Test, Thakur, India’s most experienced pacer in the current attack, struggled significantly.
The Mumbai all-rounder bowled 28 overs, conceding over 100 runs while picking up just two wickets—one of which was tailender Zaman Akhter. His batting contribution was modest, scoring a quick 27 with four boundaries, but it did little to offset his bowling woes on a flat track where the Lions piled on 587 runs.
Nitish fared marginally better with the bat, notching a half-century in the second innings of the first game, though it came when the match was headed for a draw. His bowling, however, mirrored Thakur’s struggles. Nitish bowled 15 overs, claiming just one wicket, the final one of the innings.
The second unofficial Test has offered no redemption so far. With the bat, Thakur (19) and Nitish (34) failed to arrest a collapse as India A lost their last seven wickets for 100 runs. By the end of Day 2, the duo had bowled a combined 12 overs without a single wicket, further denting their case.
Gambhir has historically favoured all-rounders to provide balance, but the lacklustre performances of Thakur and Nitish have sparked debate about their inclusion together in the XI for the Headingley Test. Persisting with either could overburden India’s frontline pacers, a scenario that played out in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where Jasprit Bumrah’s workload led to a stress fracture in the fifth Test. With India’s pace attack already stretched, relying on underperforming all-rounders risks repeating that mistake. It would make India’s tail a longer one.
An alternative strategy for Gill could be to bolster the batting lineup, especially given India’s relatively inexperienced middle order. The presence of Ravindra Jadeja, a reliable fifth bowling option, allows flexibility to include an extra batsman without sacrificing bowling depth. This could see both Karun Nair, who smashed a double hundred for India A, or Sai Sudharsan, a promising talent, slotting into the XI alongside frontline pacers like Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, fresh off a hat-trick of fifties in the A games is also a viable option.
With Nair and Jurel in fine form, this approach could provide the batting security India needs against a potent England attack.
The Headingley Test will be a litmus test for Gill’s captaincy and Gambhir’s tactical acumen. Sticking with Thakur or Reddy offers the allure of all-round contributions but risks exposing the bowling unit’s fragility. The call will set the tone for India’s campaign in this high-stakes series.