When India host the West Indies in October for their next Test series post England tour, they could be without two more senior pros alongside Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and pacer Mohammed Shami, too, may no longer be available in whites following the upcoming England series.
Bowling-wise, though, India still have options who can deal with the vacuum left by Jadeja and Shami. But who will fill in the void created by the retirement of Rohit and Kohli, the pillars of Team India’s batting line-up?
Among the specialised batsmen, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill — considered the frontrunner to succeed Rohit as captain — keeper-batter Rishabh Pant and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal are the only ones with some experience. That doesn’t quite portray a great picture for a visiting team ahead of another long and possibly gruelling tour consisting five Test matches.
However, given the situation, the selectors may go with Karun Nair and left-hander Sai Sudharsan, both of whom appear to be the best-placed among the reserve batters looking to make the main squad. Sudharsan, among the top run-getters in the ongoing IPL, is being considered as an all-format player, while he also has the experience of playing for Surrey in the County Championship last year.
The English conditions thus won’t be totally alien for the 23-year-old top-order batsman. “For Nair, it seems the selectors are expected to allow him to prove his mettle in Test cricket once again, since he had done well in the last domestic season.
“But mind you, he’s already 33. So, this could also be his last opportunity,” a BCCI official told The Telegraph.
Now, who bats in Kohli’s place at No.4? “It’s a tricky call. You also need to decide who opens with Jaiswal,” another Board insider said.
“Gill may go in at No.4, with Sudharsan at No.3 or vice versa. Nair, too, is there, but you need to ensure the right combination as seamer all-rounder like Nitish Kumar Reddy is also at your disposal.
“But again, who goes on to open the innings with Jaiswal is another tricky part. Yes,
KL played that role in Australia, but it may not be right to shift him from the middle order as he has been doing quite well there.”
Like Sudharsan and Nair, Abhimanyu Easwaran is also set to get a chance and make an impression in the coming ‘A’ games against England Lions. If the Bengal top-order batter utilises his chances in the two ‘A’ matches, which he couldn’t do in Australia, his chances of a Test debut and opening alongside Jaiswal he could certainly brighten.
“The selectors are focused on the younger players and not keen on taking a step back (like bringing back Ajinkya Rahane or Cheteshwar Pujara). So, this is a perfect opportunity for a player like Abhimanyu to come up with impactful knocks and stake a claim for a place in the top order,” the Board insider stated.
“Besides, he’s already 29. So, there may not be many opportunities ahead for him.”
