As the highly anticipated Test series between India and England draws near, senior Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane has shared his predicted playing XI for the opening match starting Friday. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rahane surprised many by including young players Arshdeep Singh and Sai Sudharsan in his lineup. The selection reflects a blend of youth and form, with Rahane opting for performers who impressed in warm-up matches and domestic cricket.

Notably, Rahane left out experienced names such as Karun Nair and pacer Prasidh Krishna. Instead, he chose wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel as a middle-order option and backed Shardul Thakur for his all-round contributions, particularly after a strong showing in the intra-squad warm-up game. At the top, Rahane placed his confidence in Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as openers, while debutant Sai Sudharsan was given the critical No. 3 slot.

Skipper Shubman Gill, Dhruv Jurel, and Rishabh Pant form the backbone of the middle order, adding depth and flexibility. Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur provide dual skills as all-rounders, while the pace department features three fast bowlers—Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh—forming a well-rounded attack.

Gill on bowling strength and India's selection strategy

Ahead of the series opener, Indian captain Shubman Gill emphasized the importance of bowling in red-ball cricket, underlining that taking 20 wickets is the key to winning a Test. “Yes, definitely in Test matches, if you want to win a Test match, you can't win a Test match without taking 20 wickets no matter how many runs you score,” Gill said at the pre-match press conference. “That has been one of our key discussion points: how we will take 20 wickets.”

Gill also revealed that the team management is weighing its options regarding team balance. "There might be a case where we go with six pure batters, and you will see a bowling all-rounder and three or four premier fast bowlers," he explained. With conditions expected to differ slightly from the usual English summer, the team is approaching its combination with caution and flexibility.

Ajinkya Rahane’s Predicted XI for 1st Test vs England:
Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, and Arshdeep Singh.