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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
India vs England 1st Test: Why June 20 means so much to Indian cricket
There's something about June 20 that seems to script destiny in Indian Test cricket. On this very day in 1996, two future legends — and Sourav Ganguly began their Test journeys at Lord's. In 2011, it was who made his long-awaited Test debut in the West Indies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now And now, in 2025, the tradition continues as Sai Sudharsan walks out in whites for the first time, debuting against England at Headingley. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The 23-year-old southpaw was handed India's Test Cap No. 317 on Friday, as Shubman Gill elected to bat first in overcast conditions. With Kohli, Rohit, and Ashwin now retired from the longest format, this marks the beginning of a bold new phase in . WV Raman backs Shubman Gill to fire in England: 'He needs the right support' Sudharsan comes into the match riding a wave of form. He was the Orange Cap winner in IPL 2025, showcasing a temperament and technique that belies his age. Though his first-class average of 39.93 may not leap off the page, his hunger, timing, and ability to adapt have made him a key figure in India's rebuilding plans. Quiz: Playing at No. 3, a spot once owned by Dravid — Sudharsan's role now symbolises continuity and change. As he prepares to face the swinging Dukes ball under English skies, he carries with him not just promise, but history. India's playing XI: , KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. A new story begins, on a date already etched in Indian cricket folklore.
India Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
ENG vs IND: Sai Sudharsan debuts, joins Virat Kohli, Sourav Ganguly in unique list
Sai Sudharsan's rapid rise continued as the young Tamil Nadu batter made his Test debut for India in the series opener against England at Headingley, Leeds, on 20 June, joining a select group of Indian greats - Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli - who also earned their maiden Test caps on the same 21-year-old left-hander became India's 317th Test cricketer, receiving his cap from Cheteshwar Pujara, a stalwart at No. 3 for over a decade. Fittingly, Sudharsan is expected to take up that position in a reshuffled batting order, with Shubman Gill moving to No. 4 and Rishabh Pant slotting in at No. already has three ODI caps and one T20I cap to his name, and his Test debut today completes the set. Sudharsan has been a prolific run-scorer in the shorter formats - he won the Orange Cap in IPL 2025 - but he averages just under 40 in first-class cricket. ENG vs IND Live Score, 1st Test Day 1: Live UpdatesA product of Tamil Nadu's domestic system, Sudharsan first came into prominence during the 2021 Tamil Nadu Premier League, finishing as the second-highest run-scorer. He made his Ranji Trophy debut the following year and has since accumulated 1,957 runs in 29 first-class matches at an average of 39.93, including seven Cap number 317Congratulations to Sai Sudharsan, who is all set to make his Test DebutUpdates | #ENGvIND BCCI (@BCCI) June 20, 2025advertisementIn December 2019, Sudharsan was in tears after being dropped from Tamil Nadu's Under-19 team. He was not in ideal physical shape and, acknowledging that, channeled his disappointment into working towards becoming a fitter, stronger player. Early the following year, he began training with his mother, a strength and conditioning coach who had represented Tamil Nadu in volleyball. His father, R Bharadwaj - a former track athlete who represented India at the South Asian Games in Dhaka in 1993 - also played a key role in his his red-ball numbers remain a work in progress, his recent form has been impossible to overlook. Sudharsan enjoyed a prolific IPL 2025 campaign, scoring 759 runs at a strike rate of 156.17 for Gujarat Titans - the highest run tally of the season. His County stint with Surrey across the 2023 and 2024 seasons also gave him valuable experience in English left-hander has been one of the most talked-about names in the lead-up to the series. Thirty years after Ganguly's elegant debut at Lord's, another left-handed batter from India begins his journey in Watch
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Crown passed on as Shubman Gill inherits India's no. 4 spot
India's Shubman Gill (AP Photo/Manish Swarup, File) Wanderers, 2013: All eyes were on the Indian dressing room as Cheteshwar Pujara and M Vijay were battling it out against Dale Steyn and Co. This was the first Test after Sachin Tendulkar had retired and the talk in the leadup had been all about his replacement at No. 4. Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were padded up but when the latter walked in to bat at the fall of Vijay's wicket, we all knew who would be the new king of Indian cricket . This time around, vice-captain Rishabh Pant has poured cold water on all the speculation by announcing that new captain Shubman Gill will be the heir apparent to the recentlyretired Kohli at No. 4. It is clear indication that the team management now considers Gill as their most valuable batter. 'Once Virat retired, coach Gambhir and I had a discussion and he wanted me to bat at No. 4, an idea that I endorsed as well,' Gill said in Leeds on Thursday. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Tendulkar and Kohli turned No. 4 into a glamour slot with the 13,492 and 7564 runs they scored batting at that position, but both also got oneslot promotions when they first took up the role. Former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar , meanwhile, came down from No. 3 to No. 4, just like Gill, when he made that slot his own back in the 1980s. 'I was batting at No. 3 before but when Vishy (GR Viswanath) retired, I was asked to come down at No. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 4. It was slightly easier to bat at No. 4 than No. 3, because by the time I came in to bat, the ball often got slightly older,' Vengsarkar told TOI. Shubman's Big Test Begins! India's Probable XI & Stokes' Mind Games | ENG vs IND 1st Test Preview It was the Mumbai right-hander's brilliant run with the bat at No. 4, when he got two centuries and a halfcentury, that helped India win a Test series in England in 1986. 'That was one series where I wasn't always getting the cushion of playing against the older ball. Our top three wasn't in the best of touch and I was often batting pretty early on. But at the end of the day, it's a game of confidence,' Vengsarkar said. Quiz: Who's that IPL player? In the second innings of the second Test, when the master right-hander scored a 102 not out to seal the series, he had come out with the score reading 9-2. While Vengsarkar went into that England series having scored runs in that part of the world before, Gill hasn't had a very good run in England. In the three Tests in England prior to this, the new captain aggregates a paltry 88. He needs to turn that record around pretty fast. The ball swinging in has been a cause of worry for the 25-year-old, and the new skipper has in the past often found his stumps rattled. 'The one suggestion I can give Gill is that he should try to get his bat down a little straighter instead of it coming down from gully, like it is right now. The right forearm should touch his waist as he looks to play the ball. That will allow him to play straighter,' Vengsarkar said. The dual job of captaincy and batting at No. 4 is another aspect that the Mumbai man had handled pretty well during his playing days. Gill will have to do the same again in challenging conditions. The fact that there is a bit of inexperience around him may make this slightly difficult. But Vengsarkar believes Gill has the ability to deal with the pressure, given his natural talent. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Qatar Tribune
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Rishabh Pant shares India's batting line-up change for England Tests
Agencies As India prepares for the crucial Test series against England, newly appointed vice-captain Rishabh Pant has affirmed a significant change in the team's batting order for the first Test, revealing that Shubman Gill will take up the No.4 spot, while Pant himself will bat at No.5. 'I think there is still discussion going on, who is going to play No.3. But definitely No.4 and No.5 are fixed,' Pant began. 'I think Shubman is going to bat at No.4 and I'm going to stick to No.5 as of now. And rest, we are going to keep on discussing about that.' This change signals a major reshuffle in India's top order, triggered by the double retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill, who began his career as an opener and was later moved to No.3, will now take up the No.4 position alongwith the responsibility of filling a massive void left by Kohli. The No.3 position, however, remains up for grabs wherein Sai Sudharsan is considered a strong contender for the spot, alongwith the returning batter Karun Nair. Both the players have been in outstanding form leading up to the red-ball series against England, making the selection an intriguing decision for the team management. India have picked a young squad led by a new Test captain and will be without the experience of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. This would be the first time since 2011 when India will play a Test match without at least one of those three stalwarts being present. 'Obviously, it's a new start for us, big people have left. Yes, there will be a gap, but at the same time, it's an opportunity for us to build a new culture from here or take a culture forward from there, just adding to it,' said Pant, acknowledging the gap in experience. 'I think being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions and sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in the dressing room for each other — that is something we are looking forward to do.' Shubman Gill is set to captain the side for the first time, with Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy. Despite their relative inexperience in leadership roles, Pant believes that his strong camaraderie with the new skipper will be a big positive for this fresh-looking Indian team. 'I think me and Shubman have a really good camaraderie off the field — especially off the field. If you're good friends off the field, it eventually comes on the field.' 'It's much better for cricket always, and that is something I've always believed in. Me and him, we get along really well together. We keep on having conversations, and the kind of comfort zone we have with each other — I think that is really going to be special for us.'
United News of India
20 hours ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Pant shares India's batting line-up change for England Tests
Leeds, June 19 (UNI) As India prepares for the crucial Test series against England, newly appointed vice-captain Rishabh Pant has affirmed a significant change in the team's batting order for the first Test, revealing that Shubman Gill will take up the No.4 spot, while Pant himself will bat at No.5. "I think there is still discussion going on, who is going to play No.3. But definitely No.4 and No.5 are fixed," Pant began. "I think Shubman is going to bat at No.4 and I'm going to stick to No.5 as of now. And rest, we are going to keep on discussing about that," he said. This change signals a major reshuffle in India's top order, triggered by the double retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill, who began his career as an opener and was later moved to No.3, will now take up the No.4 position alongwith the responsibility of filling a massive void left by Kohli. The No.3 position, however, remains up for grabs wherein Sai Sudharsan is considered a strong contender for the spot, alongwith the returning batter Karun Nair. Both the players have been in outstanding form leading up to the red-ball series against England, making the selection an intriguing decision for the team management. India have picked a young squad led by a new Test captain and will be without the experience of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin. This would be the first time since 2011 when India will play a Test match without at least one of those three stalwarts being present, an ICC report said. "Obviously, it's a new start for us, big people have left. Yes, there will be a gap, but at the same time, it's an opportunity for us to build a new culture from here or take a culture forward from there, just adding to it,' said Pant, acknowledging the gap in experience. 'I think being in a great frame of mind, helping the new players to learn and improve themselves in overseas conditions and sharing knowledge with each other, having that care and love in the dressing room for each other — that is something we are looking forward to do," he said. Shubman Gill is set to captain the side for the first time, with Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy. Despite their relative inexperience in leadership roles, Pant believes that his strong camaraderie with the new skipper will be a big positive for this fresh-looking Indian team. "I think me and Shubman have a really good camaraderie off the field — especially off the field. If you're good friends off the field, it eventually comes on the field," Pant said. "It's much better for cricket always, and that is something I've always believed in. Me and him, we get along really well together. We keep on having conversations, and the kind of comfort zone we have with each other — I think that is really going to be special for us," he added. UNI BM
