India vs England Test Series: India’s 18 Men’s Squad Analysis

India vs England Test

With India entering a new era in Test cricket absent the experienced stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Virat Kohli, the duty of leading the batting lineup now lies squarely on the newer Indian talents.

An 18-member young team captained by Shubman Gill seeks to be just the fourth Indian touring side to claim a Test series victory in England. During their 19 past tours of England, India has achieved three series wins – in 1971, 1986, and 2007 – along with two drawn series – in 2002 and 2021. The other 14 tours have concluded with losses. These figures highlight the significant difficulties facing this relatively new and unseasoned team.

India vs England Test Squad of Low Experience

Kohli, Ashwin, and Rohit collectively boasted an impressive Test experience of 296 matches. In comparison, the current squad of 18 members has collectively played 371 Tests, with 258 of those games being contributed by only five players. Of the other 13, three have not made their Test debut yet.

The biggest challenge of the tour will be for the Indian batsmen, who need to adapt to swinging conditions following two months of T20 cricket. Batting close to the body and avoiding the urge to pursue balls outside the off stump will be essential.

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India’s batting will center on Rahul, Pant, Gill, and Jaiswal. Karun Nair will also be in the spotlight as he prepares for his international comeback after a prolonged break.

Rahul’s statistics versus England present a varied narrative. In 13 Tests against them, he has made 955 runs at an average of 39.79, featuring three centuries and two fifties.

His record in England, however, decreases slightly to an average of 34.11 over nine matches. Nonetheless, two of his most memorable innings occurred on English grounds — a resolute 149 at The Oval in 2018 and a determined 129 at Lord’s in 2021, the latter securing him the Player of the Match title.

However, both series also uncovered a concerning pattern — robust beginnings succeeded by a sharp drop. In 2018, besides the 149, Rahul scored just 152 runs across nine additional innings. In 2021, following his Lord’s century, he accumulated only 76 in his next five innings.

Bowlers must concentrate on delivering a driving length to tempt batsmen into driving, thus raising the likelihood of creating an edge. This is more easily stated than accomplished, especially since the fast bowlers have grown used to delivering shorter lengths on the flatter surfaces employed in the Indian Premier League.

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Jasprit Bumrah continues to be the leader of the fast bowling unit. Nevertheless, considering his expected absence for a minimum of two Tests, others, especially Mohammed Siraj, must rise to the occasion and spearhead the attack when necessary.

With India preparing for their five-match Test series against England beginning June 20, Kuldeep Yadav is optimistic that the conditions will become more favorable for spin as the series continues. With R. Ashwin having retired from Test cricket, Kuldeep takes over as India’s sole specialist spinner along with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Despite his limited experience in English Tests—having bowled only nine overs in his single outing—Kuldeep thinks the pitches will offer chances for spinners as the matches progress. Watching the intra-squad warm-up match, he observed the pitch transition from favoring seamers initially to providing turn by the third day, heightening his expectations for the series.

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India vs England Test Full Squad

Batters

Allrounders

Fast Bowlers

Spinner