KL Rahul To Open, Gill At 3; India-A Lineup Vs Lions Hints At Potential XI For 1st Test vs England

Shubman Gill and KL Rahul [Source: @Kunal_KLR, @mipaltan/X]

Led by Abhimanyu Easwaran, India-A are currently facing the England Lions in the second unofficial Test at Northampton County Ground. The visitors have made several changes to their lineup, drafting KL Rahul, Tanush Kotian, Khaleel Ahmed and Tushar Deshpande into the playing XI in place of Sarfaraz Khan, Harsh Dubey, Mukesh Kumar and Harshit Rana, respectively. 

How Is India-A XI A Hint At India's Lineup For Leeds Test?

KL Rahul Asked To Open Straightaway

Veteran batter KL Rahul played mostly as an opener in the BGT and it seems India are looking forward to making him Rohit Sharma's permanent replacement. When he wasn't there, skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran opened the batting in the first unofficial Test. 

However, as soon as Rahul joined the India-A setup, the team management sent him to open the batting, demoting Easwaran to number 3. This move clearly suggests that Rahul is the frontrunner to open the batting for India in the upcoming Leeds Test. 

Karun Nair's Demotion To 4 Means Gill Could Continue At 3

Experienced batter Karun Nair enjoyed stellar success in the first unofficial Test, slamming a sensational double ton. His marathon knock came while batting at number three; however, as Rahul opened the batting and Easwaran entered the middle at 3, Nair was pushed back to number four, where he could potentially bat in the Leeds Test. 

Nair's breakthrough domestic season came as Vidarbha's number-four batter, and, with Gill performing superbly as Pujara's successor at three, India might not alter his batting position. Thus, Easwaran could be swapped with the Indian captain for the inaugural Test of the series. 

Both Reddy, Shardul To Play; Kotian To Make Way For Jadeja

Nitish Reddy and Shardul Thakur have been provided with ample game time before the Test series, meaning they are in contention for two crucial slots as seam-bowling all-rounders. 

Tanush Kotian, who replaced Harsh Dubey, will make way for Ravindra Jadeja for the Leeds Test, while the seam bowling trio of Khaleel, Kamboj and Deshpande will likely be replaced by Arshdeep, Bumrah and one between Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. 

India's Potential Combination For 1st Test vs England

KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Karun Nair, Rishabh Pant (WK), Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj/Prasidh Krishna

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