Shubhman Gill leads captaincy race

Bengaluru: India’s Test squad announcement for the upcoming five-match series in England has drawn rare attention, marking a significant transition after a decade of relative stability. The simultaneous retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India's batting fulcrum for years, and R Ashwin, country's second-most successful bowler, have left gaping holes, prompting a major team overhaul.

This series, the first without these three pillars, signals a new era. The decisions made by the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel in Mumbai on Saturday will shape India’s red-ball future.        

Though the impact of Ashwin's departure will be known when the home Tests commence, the exits of Rohit and Kohli will need to be addressed immediately. While it needs to be seen who fills the void left by the duo in terms of batting, selectors would have grappled long and hard to zero in on Rohit's successor as Test skipper. 

The 25-year-old Shubman Gill, by all indications, is a front runner to take up the mantle though Jasprit Bumrah, team's vice-captain, is a logical successor. Given his workload, and with Bumrah himself reportedly making it clear that he may not be able to play five Tests in a row, the selectors could look at someone who is a constant for the duration of the series. While that naturally puts Gill ahead of the aspirant pack, wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant appears an obvious choice for the vice-captain's role. 

Besides the leadership quagmire that the selectors have to tread carefully, they also need to look at long-time replacements, for positions 1 and 4, held respectively by Rohit and Kohli with distinction.     

At the moment, Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal seem likely choices for the openers' slots not only because of their past success in those positions but they provide that left-right combination as well, a popular strategy that the think-tanks across teams love to adopt. Sai Sudharsan is another contender to open but him being a left-hander, the 23-year-old may be pushed to down the order. 

That brings us to the big question of who at No. 4? Choices are many, but careful consideration is critical to the team's fortunes in England.

If Sudharsan indeed is inked to bat at No. 3, then Gill will automatically occupy the No. 4 spot. But then, having demanded No. 3 slot and done well there, will Gill move down a place?      

There are others, who can either slot in at 4 or 5, depending on team's composition. Karun Nair, who has had a great domestic run, is one option. The right-hander also had a decent stint in County cricket last year. Sarfaraz Khan, despite good performances at home, hasn’t earned trust overseas. Shreyas Iyer has swung himself back into reckoning after a year of off-field tumult and white-ball success.    

The choice of spinners and reserve wicketkeeper are relatively simple. While left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja remains the top pick, left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav would be the second spinner. Similarly, there is no threat to Dhruv Jurel's position as a back-up for Pant. 

The pace department is a blend of hope and concern. While Bumrah's return is a big boost, managing his workload is equally crucial. And with fitness concerns over Mohammed Shami, it could be a big predicament for India to both manage and put a potent attack on the park in every Test. There are whispers that Shami may not even be picked in the squad as there are question marks over his ability to bowl long spells.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, who were both part of the recent Australia tour, will surely be part of the travelling party with Arshdeep Singh's name being floated as a possible replacement for Shami. Akash Deep, who bowled impressively in Australia without much luck, is another potential pick for English conditions.   

Several questions and concerns hang in the air as these selections not only define the squad for the England series but also lay the foundation for India’s next red-ball phase.