Leeds [UK], June 18 : As Team India gears up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting June 20, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experiences in English conditions.
Newly appointed India Test captain Shubman Gill had a short but impactful stint with Glamorgan in 2022. In just 3 matches and 4 innings, Gill scored 244 runs at an impressive average of 61.00. His stint included a century and a half-century, with a best score of 119.
Sai Sudharsan has featured for Surrey over the past two seasons, showcasing his adaptability in unfamiliar conditions. In 5 matches and 8 innings, Sudharsan accumulated 281 runs at an average of 35.12. He registered both a century and a fifty, with a highest score of 105.
Karun Nair enjoyed a prolific run with Northamptonshire. Across 10 matches and 14 innings, Nair scored 736 runs at a superb average of 56.61. His tally includes two centuries and four fifties, with a top score of an unbeaten 202.
Washington Sundar had a brief stint with Lancashire in 2022 but made the most of it. With the ball, he picked up 8 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 24.75, including best figures of 5/76. With the bat, Sundar registered scores of 2, 34, 6, and 10.
Arshdeep Singh, known for his control and swing, represented Kent in the 2023 season. He claimed 13 wickets in 5 matches with best bowling figures of 3/58, though he averaged a higher 41.76.
These players, armed with county experience, will be key assets for India as they look to conquer England in their own backyard in what promises to be a mouth-watering Test battle.
The fourth-ranked Test team will line up without its batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who bid adieu to the Test format last month. Along with the batting wizards, India won't have the presence of its frontline crafty off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who retired from international cricket midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India's squad: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana.
England Playing XI for the 1st Test against India: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir.