Indian cricket team is in uncharted territory as the first Test against England starts today. The new look team is led by Shubhman Gill is both a leap of faith by selectors as well as a big generational jump.
The uncertainty is not only owing to the absence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma whose auras were so large that they became the team’s identity.One cannot, however, deny the gap left by the two stalwarts has been evident in the pre-series build-up in England by the local media.
The baton has fallen on a younger lot of players who are yet to prove themselves in the arena of test cricket.Most questions to the players have been about Kohli or Sharma.
Their absence have cast a large shadow. It can be removed only by the performance of the young Indian team in the home of test cricket.
The Indian team’s trump card, paceman Jasprit Bumrah is available for the first three tests. On the batting front, K L Rahul, the senior most batsman will be setting the tune for piling up runs or chasing them.
Captain Gill will be building on it. While it will be upto Rishabh Pant to take the battle in the opposite camp by finding the gaps in fielding and putting it in a shambles.
India can test England, if the rest of the youngsters can find their feet. Eyes will be on Karun Nair, a veteran domestic cricket batsman who has made a remarkable comeback.
England is not quite dead meat. But a spate of injuries have depleted their bowling while their batting is not what it used to be.
