After a disappointing performance in Australia she lost Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25the next big challenge for the Indian team in the longest format of the game will be to make a run to England In June India is scheduled to play a 5-match Test series which will start at Leeds and end at The Oval to win the coveted tournament. Pataudi Cup.
A chance to get back to India's winning ways
The Indian team will look to gain some momentum and a winning streak in Test cricket considering the fact that the team has not been able to win titles in Test cricket recently. India will arrive in England on the back of a crushing defeat at home to… New Zealand And a disappointing end to a decade of dominance as they lost the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia.
Not only that, with their consecutive losses, the Indian team failed to reach the World Cup finals World Test Championship Scheduled to be held in June of this year in Lord's. Instead the Indian team made way for Australia To advance to the finals and defend the test scepter against South Africa. There is therefore a lot at stake on the tour to England in terms of India's future in Test cricket. Keeping in mind the need for major changes in the squad, here are 5 players who should not be part of the Indian squad for the upcoming tour to England.
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5 players who should be left out of the Indian squad for the Pataudi Trophy
1. Rohit Sharma
The Indian skipper had a terrible season both with the bat and as captain. Not only has Rohit reached the peak of his prowess in Test cricket, but the 37-year-old cannot even keep up with the ever-changing dynamics of the game. Rohit's consistency with the bat and his decisions as the Indian skipper have been seriously questioned. Rohit had a disappointing season with the bat in Test cricket. Indian skipper Rohit has played a total of 14 Test matches this season and scored 619 runs at a meager average of 24.76. A glimpse of the sorry state of affairs Rohit is in from the bat is evident from the fact that the Indian cricket hitman scored his last Test century in March this year against England In Dharamsala. Hence, it is now time for Rohit to focus on white-ball cricket and keep the prospect of leading the Test aside.
2. Virat Kohli
The only difference between Rohit and Kohli's situation is that the former Indian skipper showed some glimpses of promise with the bat during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But even he lost the familiar touch he once had. Fast bowling has been a nightmare for the 36-year-old. During the tour of Australia, Kohli repeatedly fell into the trap of playing a cover drive on outside balls outside the off-stump and giving his wicket away in the process. Although his form has been steadily declining, Kohli has hit a new low in his career in 2024 with just one century in 19 innings. Kohli needs to work on his skill set in the nets and play red-ball cricket at the domestic level if he wants to continue playing Test cricket for India.
3. Ravindra Jadeja
This all-rounder may not be as big a disappointment as Rohit and Kohli, but it's time for some serious reflection on his role in the team. Stadiums in England generally favor touch-and-go movement, especially during the first few days of a match. Furthermore, the ball tends to swing all day long on the English wicket unlike Australia. Jadeja may come in as a viable alternative to the team but English conditions require an additional pace option to rest the main bowlers. India could opt to pick an extra pace bowler instead of Jadeja and go for traditional bowling like Washington Sundar or Kuldeep Yadav And you have extra depth in the team in terms of the bowling department. In addition, Nitish Kumar Reddy He has proven his worth as an all-rounder in the Indian team, and the youngster is likely to be able to play at number six as aptly as he did at number seven in Australia.
4. Muhammad Siraj
To summarize Siraj’s tour in Australia: The intensity is there, but the intensity in his bowling that he once had is no longer there. Putting aside some promising glimpses like Australia's first innings in the Sydney Test, Siraj has failed to wreak havoc in the hearts of batsmen as he used to do before. Consistency is key in English conditions, and Siraj's lack of that could be a liability for the team if he is selected. Although Siraj took 26 wickets in the previous season, the Indian pacer could not trouble the batsmen consistently. This is evident from his performance in Australia. While he took 4 wickets in the Australian first innings in Adelaide, Siraj was unable to achieve the same level in the series in the next three Test matches. The 30-year-old needs to get back to his best and focus on making an impact in the big moments, so he could be left out of the England squad if Jasprit Bumrah and Muhammad Al-Shami Get back in shape by then.
5. Shubman Gill
Excluding young people from the team is not easy at all. However, Gill failed to provide any reasons to the selectors not to exclude him from the England tour. Especially in outdoor conditions, his level has been terrible for some time now. Gill scored a total of 401 runs in the 2024-25 season at a batting average of 33.41, a stark drop from his record of the previous season in which he scored 526 runs at an average of 43.83. Hence the youngster needs to rework his basics and develop the temperament of Test level so as to become a consistent No. 3 for the team in Test cricket.
