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India's Test team begins a new era under Shubman Gill as captain, following the retirement of Rohit, Kohli, and Ashwin. The young squad faces a tough challenge against England’s aggressive 'Bazball' strategy in the five-match Test series.
The sun will dawn on the new era for Indian Test cricket as Shubman Gill leads a youthful and evolving side against the formidable England side in the opening Test of the five-match Test series at Headingley in Leeds on Friday, June 20.
The upcoming Test series will mark the beginning of life for Team India post the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Rohit and Kohli stepped away from red-ball cricket before the England tour. Before the batting duo, Ravichandran Ashwin called time on his illustrious international career midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December last year.
With Rohit, Kohli, and Ashwin no longer part of the red-ball setup, Team India enters a phase of generational shift, placing the onus on the emerging talents and new leadership group carrying on the legacy left by three stalwarts of Indian cricket.
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Shubman Gill’s captaincy to be in the spotlight
Shubman Gill will be assuming his leadership role in the longest format of format in the first Test against England. Gill has been entrusted with the responsibility of leading Team India in red-ball cricket at the age of 25, making him the youngest Test captain of India in the 21st century. Gill has captaincy credentials under his belt, having led Team India in the T20I series against Zimbabwe and the Gujarat Titans in the IPL. He also led Punjab across all age levels in domestic cricket.
The upcoming Test series against England is a much bigger challenge and task for Shubman Gill as a captain compared to the T20I series or IPL, as leadership endurance over the period of five days and long-term strategic thinking.
With conquering England having been a formidable challenge for Team India, who have won the Test series only thrice in their backyard, Gill’s tactical acumen, temperament, and ability to inspire the team that is going through a generational shift, will be put ultimate test from the first game of the series at Headlingley.
Shubman Gill’s captaincy is likely to be in the spotlight as he not only shoulders the responsibility and legacy left by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but also attempts to script a fresh chapter in Indian Test cricket history.
India’s young batting line-up faces a litmus test in English conditions
Team India’s batting is going through a transition phase after the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, placing added responsibility on young batters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill to step up and deliver in challenging English conditions. The batting unit has a mixture of young and experienced players, including KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Karun Nair, Jaiswal, Gill, and Abhimanyu Easwaran.
While Rahul and Rishabh have considerable experience of playing against England in England, Sudharsan and Karun’s stint in the County Championship could prove vital for adapting to seaming conditions. Jaiswal is on his maiden Test tour of England, and management will expect the southpaw to showcase his attacking flair with caution and play a vital role in the top order.
Rahul and Jaiswal are likely to partner at the top, while Shubman Gill is to succeed Virat Kohli at No.4, and the toss-up for No.3 will be between Abhimanyu and Sudharsan. The vice-captain Rishabh Pant will play at No.5, and Karun Nair is expected to take up the No.6 spot in the batting line-up.
India’s bowling attack against England’s ‘Bazball’ approach
India’s bowling attack will be spearheaded by pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the opening Test of the series against England. Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are likely to partner with the new ball, with Prasidh Krishna or Arshdeep Singh expected to be the third seamer. The spin department will see Ravindra Jadeja leading the charge in the absence of Ravichandran Ashwin.
However, India’s bowling attack is likely to be challenged by a strong England batting line-up, which is expected to adapt to an ultra-aggressive approach, aiming to attack opposition bowlers with fearless strokeplay and rapid scoring. The line-up consists of Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes. All these batters have experience of playing against India at home and away.
Root has a great record against India, amassing 2846 runs, including 10 centuries and a fifty, at an average of 39.47 in 30 matches. Also, former England captain’s battle against Jasprit Bumrah, who dismissed him nine times in Tests, could prove decisive in shaping the Headingley Test.
India’s bowling attack, especially pacers, will have to be disciplined, relentless, and smart in exploiting the conditions that are seaming-friendly, with swing likely to play a crucial role in the early hours or in the morning session of the Headingley Test.
