England vs India: 3 Players who can replace Shubman Gill in Test series

Team India would have been gutted after losing the ICC World Test Championship final against New Zealand. They had performed exceptionally well in red-ball cricket lately but the Kiwis defeated them by eight wickets in the summit clash and lifted the prestigious title at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. While Virat Kohli’s men wouldn’t be cheerful after the loss, they must assess their shortcomings in the WTC final to do better in the upcoming fixtures.

India’s next assignment in the longest format is a five-match Test series against hosts England, starting from August 4. However, the visitors have suffered a huge setback ahead of the marquee series with Shubman Gill all but likely to get ruled out of the entire tour. The young Indian opener sustained a serious leg injury which will take a while to heal.

Notably, Gill had cemented his place in the Test team ever since making his debut in the format last December against Australia. Hence, it would be interesting to see who replaces the 21-year-old in India’s playing XI. Fortunately, the team management doesn’t have any shortage of potent options.

Here’s a look at three players who can replace Shubman Gill in the England series

1. Mayank Agarwal

Agarwal lost his place in the Test team after failing to deliver in the first two Tests against Australia last year. However, he now has a chance to stamp his authority again and become a part of India’s first-choice playing XI. The 30-year-old has a solid defence and playing marathon knocks isn’t beyond his reach either.

In fact, Agarwal still boasts of a formidable Test record. He has mustered 1052 runs in 14 Test matches at an impressive average of 45.74. In this duration, the star opener has even smashed two double centuries. Hence, the team management is likely to give the opening slot to Agarwal with Gill not available.

However, the talented opener, who hasn’t played Test matches in UK before, will have a formidable task at hand if he gets a chance in the playing XI. England hasn’t been a pleasant place for Test openers lately with the new ball swinging around. Moreover, the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad know to exploit these conditions very well.