India begins a new era in Test cricket without stalwarts Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin as they prepare for their series opener against England at Headingley on Friday. The young squad, led by newly appointed captain Shubman Gill, aims to reclaim their dominance in the red-ball format after recent setbacks against New Zealand and Australia.The Indian team faces a significant transition period with the retirement of batting legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from Test cricket last month. Ravichandran Ashwin also announced his retirement during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.“It is a new group. We are missing a few senior players, and yeah, it is a young team led by a really young captain,” KL Rahul stated in a video shared by the BCCI on X.Shubman Gill, who succeeds Rohit Sharma as Test captain, becomes the youngest in Indian cricket history to lead the Test side. India’s recent defeats against New Zealand and Australia prevented them from reaching the World Test Championship final.
“Everyone is so young and it will be relatively easy and exciting to be able to mould this team into what we would want we want in the next 10-15 years of Indian cricket to becomes,” Gill expressed about leading the young squad.“As a team, our balance is very good. We will play good cricket,” senior player Ravindra Jadeja commented on the team composition.Quiz: Who’s that IPL player?Shardul Thakur, with experience of four Tests in England, shared his thoughts: “I think it is very exciting to play in this part of the world. Sometimes it is cloudy, and sometimes it is bright sunny, and as a player, you need to make adjustments to your game, whether you are batting or bowling.”“This is a big series, and if we win, it will be a massive achievement,” said left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav, highlighting the series’ importance in the World Test Championship cycle.Arshdeep Singh, receiving his first Test call-up, stated: “To start off, here it is said that it is a tough series, if we seal it off well, it will be fun.”“It always pumps you and always want to give your best, and just super excited to play in this England series,” expressed all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who impressed in Australia.
“It is a proud feeling to play with such an extraordinary group of talent,” added pace bowler Mohammed Siraj.Purple Cap holder from IPL 2025, Prasidh Krishna, shared his optimism: “All of us are upbeat, always joking around. If that fun leads to winning a tournament here, it will be great. All of us will be jumping around for sure and maybe come up with a dance for a celebration.”India has not won at Headingley since 2002, making this series opener particularly challenging for the young squad.The Indian squad includes Shubman Gill (Captain), Rishabh Pant (Vice-Captain & Wicketkeeper), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.
