ENG vs IND 2025: Rishabh Pant confirms lineup changes, no. 3 position remains unsettled
Rishabh Pant reveals major batting order changes for England Tests, with the No. 3 spot still undecided ahead of the series opener.
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India's vice-captain of the Test team and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has announced a big makeover of the team batting order for the first Test against England, to begin on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds. With the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from red-ball cricket in May, the team is making a big transition, particularly in the top-order batting ranks.
Pant unveiled that skipper Shubman Gill will play at No. 4 in the first game of the series. The spot was earlier occupied by Kohli, and Gill's elevation indicates a tactical change in India's batting lineup. Pant himself will remain at No. 5, while the No. 3 slot is not yet decided and will be determined near the match.
Gill, who started his Test career as an opener, was earlier moved to No. 3 to accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal. Now, with Gill moving to the middle order, the Indian team aims to add more stability in the absence of experienced batters. Pant mentioned that the No. 3 slot is still open, suggesting continued experimentation.
🚨Rishabh Pant confirms that Shubman Gill will drop to No.4 and he'll stay at No.5. The identity of the No.3 is yet to be decided #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/6nuHZkPhPb
— Kaushik R (@kaushik_cb) June 18, 2025
Starting of new age under Shubman Gill as skipper
The reshuffle marks India's wider bid to reassemble their red-ball backbone after losing two of their modern-day greats. With or without major stars Bumrah, Ashwin, and Pant, the team has not won a Test series in England since 2007. Their closest call was in 2021, when they were 2-1 up before the last Test was cancelled because of COVID-19 and then lost in 2022.
The new five-Test series—renamed the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy—is a fresh chapter in the legendary rivalry. Both sides are in transition, and new leaders are rising, so the competition will be a fierce trial of depth, flexibility, and upstart talent.
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