England vs India Test 2025: Predicted India Playing XI – Top 6 Batters likely to start for Team India in Leeds Test.
The battle between the two great Test nations, India and England, will commence on June 20. A lot would be at stake as both teams will freshly start their WTC cycle. The visiting team, India, look all set after a couple of unofficial Tests against England Lions. The playing XI, too, looks quite certain, a bit low in experience but surely high on confidence.
The bowling department will mostly remain intact but the batting department will go through some serious transition, considering the void of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. A lot of jumbling will be done as the management will look to find the perfect balance. Here is a glimpse of India’s probable top six for Leeds Test.
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Opening duo
The batting order is likely to start with Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as the openers. While the former is a certainty in the XI, the latter has grabbed opportunity with both hands, by filling in for Rohit Sharma.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
Yashasvi Jaiswal looked a bit iffy in the matches against England Lions as he scored only one fifty in his four outings. Other than that, he has been in excellent touch as he has scored plenty of runs for India in the preceding WTC cycle. In fact, he has smashed away hundreds in Australia and West Indies.
Yashasvi Jaiswal in preceding WTC Cycle
KL Rahul
KL Rahul, too, is looking composed, with scores of 116 and 51 in the only match he played against England Lions. Prior to this knock, he seemed very sceptical with his shot selection and his position in the Test squad was under question. But now that he has returned to form, it could be the beginning of his redemption.
Read More: KL Rahul proves his worth as he scores 116 as opener for India A against England Lions. A sure-shot starter for Leeds?
Number 3: Karun Nair
Karun Nair, the man who’s making a comeback to the India Test set up after eight years, looks in solid form, having smashed a double hundred (204) against England Lions in one of the two unofficial games. However, he took a dip in form with scores of 40 and 15 in the second game. Interestingly, Nair has an edge over other contenders. He holds plenty of County experience that promises to be handy.
Number 4: Shubhman Gill
The newly crowned captain, Shubhman Gill, will most likely step down and bat at Number 4 for India. With this move, he’ll be filling the void left by Virat Kohli and provide the needed stability.
The top order will have greater liberty as they’ll be playing at their preferred spots and Gill, on the other hand, will take charge in the middle order.
Number 5: Dhruv Jurel
With his exceptional performance and consistency, Dhruv Jurel has earned a spot in India’s batting line up and is likely to come in at No 5. In two games against the England Lions, batting at No. 5, his scores read 94, 53, 52 and 28. Hence, he has adapted well to the English conditions and is prepared for the challenges ahead. He could be a great asset to the team not just in this series but also in the coming years.
Read More: Positives for India from India A’s unofficial Test series against England Lions
Number 6: Rishabh Pant
Rishabh Pant has always been a solid contender at No. 6 and it is expected that he’ll occupy the same spot in the upcoming series. With his skill and mental fortitude, he is a perfect fit who can accelerate the game in the middle overs.
While his performance wasn’t fruitful in BGT 2024, expectations would be high this time around.
It shall be noted that Pant didn’t feature in any of the two games against England Lions as Dhruv Jurel was the designated wicket keeper then.
Rishabh Pant in Test Cricket in last WTC Cycle
Overall, this line up balances experience with youth. The top order is expected to provide a solid foundation, and later, the middle order shall firepower to accelerate the run rate to counter ‘Bazball’. The Leeds Test will be a great outing as we will fitness some extraordinary young talent, taking on the mighty English bowlers.
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