IND vs ENG: Shubman Gill to lead India`s Test team; THIS player misses out

Star batsman Shubman Gill on Saturday was appointed as India`s new Test captain for the England tour. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be his deputy.

Team India, under Gill`s leadership, will lock horns against England for the five-match Test series.

“Last year or so we have looked at Shubman (for leadership). We are hopeful he is the guy who is going (to take the team forward). It is a high pressure job but he is a terrific player. We wish him all the best,” said chief selector Ajit Agarkar after announcing the squad, offering no major surprises.

With his appointment for the leadership role, Shubman, at the age of 25, became India`s fourth-youngest captain.

On the decision to appoint Rishabh Pant as Gill`s deputy, Agarkar stated that a wicket-keeper can see the game well.

“Pant is one of our best batters in Test cricket over the last four-five years. A wicketkeeper can see the game well and that`s why he is Shubman`s deputy,” said Agarkar.

Previously, two of India`s stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, announced their retirements from the longest format of the game.

The team travelling to England will also include the likes of Sai Sudharsan and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.

“Sai has not been picked based on IPL, he has shown the right temperament and has the game to succeed at the top level…we have been looking at him for a while,” the chief selector said, referring to Sudharsan`s fine IPL form.

Karun Nair has also been added to India`s Test squad. The 33-year-old has made a return to the national set-up after a gap of eight long years. He last represented India in 2017, where he scored a triple century against England.

Star pacer Mohammed Shami has missed the cut for the England tour. Speaking on his exclusion, “His workload is not where it needs to be. We were hoping he will be available but it is unfortunate. At the moment he is not fully fit,” Agarkar said in the press conference.

India`s Squad for Test tour of England: Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, K L Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun nair, Nitish Redddy, Ravindra Kadeja, Dhurv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep singh and Kuldeep Yadav.

This article first appeared on Mid Day