Team India is currently enjoying a break ahead of the highly-anticipated five-match Test series against England, starting in the first week of August. After the heartbreaking defeat to New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC), the Virat Kohli-led side have sufficient time to work on the areas that let them down in Southampton against Black Caps.
India need to work a lot in order to win the battle against England in their own backyard. In the last three tours, Indian batters found it tough against the moving Dukes ball against the bowling friendly conditions.
Their last series triumph at United Kingdom (UK) came in 2007 under the leadership of Rahul Dravid. Since then, India have lost 0-4, 1-3, and 1-4 in 2011, 2014 and 2018 tours, respectively. But exactly what the visitors should do this time around to change the fortunes? Well, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has some suggestions.
Gavaskar reckons that the change can start by reshuffling India’s opening combination. The veteran believes that the management can try testing Mayank Agarwal and Shubman Gill before picking one player between them to open with Rohit Sharma.
India have been continued with the pair of Rohit and Gill since the Australia series 2020-21. However, post-Gill’s Gabba heroics, the 21-year-old has failed to impress in the home series against England and in the WTC final against New Zealand.
“Mayank Agarwal has done a really good job for India, twice he’s scored a double century opening the innings. It’s a good thing that the BCCI and Jay Shah have taken the initiative to conduct some warm-up matches before the England Tests, so there you can decide who between Gill and Agarwal can open for India,” Gavaskar told Sports Tak.
“Make them open the innings together because Rohit Sharma is a certainty, and he can be rested for a game. That would give you an idea of who has the better technique for English conditions. And then based on that, they can make a decision whether they want to play Mayank Agarwal or Shubman Gill,” added Gavaskar.
