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Gill's Batting Position To Thakur's Inclusion: Biggest Puzzles For India Before Leeds Test

Debashis Sarangi

Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur [Source: @shaanwaseem2, @Naji_Gill_77/X]Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur [Source: @shaanwaseem2, @Naji_Gill_77/X]

Led by Shubman Gill, India are all set to begin their much-anticipated England tour with the first Test between the two teams slated to be played at Headingley. While Gill takes charge as captain, the likes of Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jasprit Bumrah are expected to play key roles for the visiting side. 

Although India have picked a robust squad, there are several selection conundrums they must address ahead of the series opener. 

Who bats at 4, a position that Virat Kohli owned?

  • While KL Rahul seems the front-runner to replace Rohit Sharma as Yashasvi Jaiswal's long-term opening partner, India still don't have enough clarity regarding Virat Kohli's successor at number four in their Test lineup. 
  • Captain Shubman Gill certainly has much better numbers at three than the opening slot. Since he has been demoted to number three, Gill has amassed 1019 runs, including three centuries at a decent average of 37.74. 
  • But his issue against the nip-backers has been exploited by the seam bowlers in the past. Thus, it won't be surprising if Gill decides to drop himself down one spot further. While this move could enable Gill to capitalise on the scoring opportunities against a slightly older ball, it would mean either a challenging debut for Sai Sudharsan or a toiling comeback for Karun Nair at the pivotal number three position. 
  • Nair enjoyed stellar success as a middle-order batter in domestic matches; thus, he can be the perfect man to bat at four or five. In such a scenario, if India fill the number three slot with Sudharsan, a highly rated batter in terms of technique, they might have to bench Nitish Reddy, who looked sublime as an all-rounder in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (298 runs, avg- 37.25, 5 wickets). 

A seam-bowling all-rounder or an extra pacer in XI?

Criterion
Data
Matches4
Runs173
Wickets10

(Shardul Thakur's impressive Test record in England)

  • The pace-friendly conditions in SENA countries often create selection conundrums for the Asian teams as there's always a toss-up between the seam-bowling all-rounders and specialist pacers for limited slots. 
  • The situation is not different this time as India are puzzled about whether to pick an all-pace attack or make room for someone like Shardul Thakur or Nitish Reddy, who can do a bit of both batting and bowling. 
  • The addition of Harshit Rana to India's Test squad somewhere indicates the visiting side could prefer specialists over all-rounders to start with. However, Thakur's past exploits in England and recent performances for the India-A side make a compelling case for his entry into the final eleven. 
  • Reddy, on the other hand, could be treated as a batter who can roll his arms for a few overs. Thus, his competitors are Dhruv Jurel, Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair, batters who are raring to make it into India's top seven that will likely include spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. 

Will Kuldeep Yadav get a wildcard entry?

  • If we analyse the playing conditions in England, there's little chance that India will go with two frontline spin bowling options. However, according to the latest report, the hot and humid weather of Leeds could pave the way for abrasive playing conditions at Headingley. 
  • With the sun beating down, the pitch at Headingley could bring the spinners into play. In such a scenario, India might ponder including Kuldeep Yadav somehow in their lineup. Prasidh Krishna, who can strengthen India's pace attack with his hit-the-deck bowling skills, might also enter the scene if the heatwave persists at the iconic venue.