New Delhi: The batters will be up for a litmus test against England as India gear up for life without the experienced duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in Test cricket. Shubman Gill-led India will begin the World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign with a challenging five-match Test series in England, which will get underway on Friday, June 20, with the first Test in Headingley, Leeds.
Rohit and Kohli retired from Tests within a week last month, marking the end of an era in Indian cricket. While Kohli was one of the strongest pillars in India’s Test line-up over the years, Rohit was one of the most consistent performers for the team in the whites in the last two WTC cycles. India will hope the young guns in the squad can step up in the absence of the senior pros in England.
While expectations are huge from the likes of Yashavsi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant, arguably two of India’s best batters in the current Test squad, the onus will be on skipper Gill to lead from the front with the willow and shut his critics amid questions over his overseas record. All eyes will also be on senior batter Karun Nair, who will be playing his first Test for India in 8 years.
KL Rahul has done well overseas, but there remain question marks over his consistency in the longest format. Rahul is likely to open the innings with Jaiswal if Gill decides to stick to his no.3 spot. However, Gill returning to the top, with Rahul slotting in at no.3, is also an option for India. Ahead of the start of the five-match series, here is a look at the record of India’s top five in Test matches in England.
How India’s likely top 5 have fared in Test matches in England?
Shubman Gill
Team India’s newly-appointed skipper, Shubman Gill, doesn’t have a great Test record in England. Gill has so far played only three Test matches in England and has managed 88 runs at a below-par average of 14.66. Gill’s highest Test score of 28 in England came in the WTC final between India and New Zealand in 2021. He has played only one Test against the hosts in England and has 21 runs in the two innings combined.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal has been one of India’s best Test batters over the last couple of years. Ever since making his Test debut against West Indies at home in July 2023, Jaiswal has been unstoppable in the longest format and has proven his credentials across formats. However, Jaiswal is yet to play a Test match in England. The left-hander, who has 1798 runs in 19 Tests, will be looking to continue his impressive run in his debut Test series in England.
KL Rahul
KL Rahul is by far India’s most accomplished Test batter in the current squad when it comes to overseas conditions. Rahul, who has done well in Australia and South Africa in his Test career, also has an impressive record in England. The experienced right-hander has 614 runs to his name in 9 Test matches in England at an average of over 34, including two centuries and a fifty. Rahul is one of the few Indian batters with a Test century at Lord’s.
Karun Nair
Karun Nair will be playing his first Test for India in 8 years when he makes his comeback in the whites, in the upcoming Test series against England. Nair has never played a Test match in England. He has 374 runs in 6 Test matches in his Test career, and is only the second Indian after Virender Sehwag with a triple century in the longest format. Nair has earned his spot in India’s Test squad on the back of his impressive show in domestic cricket and will be hoping to continue his fine form in England.
Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has already proven his mettle across conditions in Test cricket and will be one of the key players for India in the upcoming series against England. Pant has 556 runs to his name in 9 Tests in England at an average of 32.70, including two centuries and as many fifties. He is the only Indian wicket-keeper batter with a Test century in England.
India’s top order will face a stern test in the upcoming five-match Test series against England, which is set to get underway on June 20. Here is a look at how Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have fared in Test matches in England. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
