England vs India: Predicting India's Test squad for five-match series

The Indian team will kick off their 2027 ICC World Test Championship (WTC 2027) cycle with a tour of England for a five-Test series. This will be India’s first Test series in England since their 2021 tour, which ended in a 2-2 draw, with the final Test played in 2022 due to Covid-related delays.

The series will begin with the first Test in Leeds on June 20. The second Test is scheduled for July 2 in Birmingham, followed by the third Test at Lord’s on July 10. The fourth Test will be played in Manchester starting July 23, and the fifth Test will take place at The Oval in London from July 31.

Today, we take a look at the potential Indian Test squad for the England tour.

England vs India: Predicting India’s Test squad for the five-match series

While India faces several challenges, England is not the toughest opponent for them. The major concerns for India are the fitness of key pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, along with the form of senior batsmen Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

It will be important for the BCCI to select a well-balanced squad, providing multiple options in case the primary plans do not succeed.

Despite rumors suggesting that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli might be dropped from the Test side, it is almost certain they will travel to England after being awarded A+ contracts by the BCCI. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill are expected to be the other two frontline top-order batsmen.

Sarfaraz Khan might miss out, given he was not played during the Australia series, but Dhruv Jurel is likely to retain his spot. Shreyas Iyer, who has been in good form, is another strong contender for the middle order.

Following R Ashwin's retirement, Kuldeep Yadav will likely take over as the primary spinner, supported by Washington Sundar and Ravindra Jadeja. Although Rohit Sharma is expected to captain the side, if he struggles in the initial matches, the leadership could be handed over to Shubman Gill or Jasprit Bumrah.

Despite their recent injury concerns, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami should lead the pace attack. Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, and potentially Bhuvneshwar Kumar could also be included in the squad.

Here is the predicted India’s Test squad for the five-Test England tour:

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana.

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