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A clutch of frontline Test players, including opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and all-rounder Nitish Reddy, will look to acclimatise to English conditions as India A takes on the England Lions in a four-day unofficial Test starting Friday.
Alongside Jaiswal and Nitish, the squad features Abhimanyu Easwaran, Dhruv Jurel, Karun Nair, and pacers Akash Deep and Shardul Thakur. All, except Karun, are touring England for the first time, making this match vital to adapt to the pronounced swing conditions before the official Test series kicks off on June 20.
Rohit Sharma’s retirement leaves India’s opening position up for grabs. Easwaran, with over 100 First-Class matches under his belt, aims to stake a claim either as an opener or at No. 3. His technique and experience will be closely watched. Should selectors decide to open with K.L. Rahul, Easwaran could slot in at No. 3, pushing skipper Shubman Gill to No. 4. Karun, who forced his way back into the team after a strong domestic run and county experience with Northamptonshire, will also be under scrutiny for a middle-order role.
Nitish impressed in the recent Australia Tests, scoring 298 runs at 37, and will want to maintain his edge with both bat and ball amid competition. Meanwhile, Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan, who missed Test selection, will aim to stay ready.
Other players like Ishan Kishan, Tanush Kotian — who joined after R Ashwin’s retirement — and Harshit Rana will be eager to impress selectors for future opportunities.
England, on the other hand, will monitor Jordan Cox’s fitness after his injury. Lions captain James Rew, averaging 55 in the County Championship, along with spinner Rehan Ahmed and all-rounder Chris Woakes, will look to find early form ahead of the series.
