India has officially entered a new era in Test cricket as they begin their five-match series against England at Headingley, Leeds, without stalwarts Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin, all of whom have retired from the longest format. Shubman Gill leads the side and takes up the No.4 batting position, while KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal open the innings. A major highlight of the match is Sai Sudharsan’s debut at No.3, making him India’s 317th Test player. Also returning to the Test side after eight years is Karun Nair, who has been slotted in at No.6.
Notably, Sai Sudharsan’s debut comes on a date rich in Indian cricket history. It was on June 20, 1996, that Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly made their Test debuts against England. Exactly 15 years later, on the same date in 2011, Virat Kohli earned his maiden Test cap against the West Indies. Sudharsan, who impressed with a double century for India A in the unofficial Test against England Lions, now carries forward that legacy.
Rishabh Pant is positioned at No.5, continuing his recovery and return to form. All-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur provide balance to the playing XI with both bat and ball. The pace department is led by Jasprit Bumrah, alongside Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna. Interestingly, Bumrah has confirmed that he will feature in only three Tests of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, as part of workload management ahead of a packed cricketing calendar.
