India Prepares for England Test Series with Closed-Door Practice Matches
India's Strategy for the Upcoming Test Series
India is gearing up for their final squad selection ahead of the first Test against England. In a strategic move, the Indian team has decided against live streaming their intrasquad match, aiming to keep their practice sessions under wraps and prevent the opposition from gaining any insights. This isn't the first instance of India opting for closed-door practices; a similar approach was taken before the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series in Australia, although it did not produce the expected outcomes.
The five-match Test series against England is set to commence on June 20. Reports indicate that head coach Gautam Gambir has firmly ruled out any live broadcasts of the practice match, emphasizing the need for privacy to focus on their preparations, particularly to keep the England team in the dark.
The practice match, featuring the senior squad against the India 'A' team, is scheduled for today, June 13. Bowlers are anticipated to bowl 360 overs each, which should provide ample preparation before heading to Headingley.
Final Warm-up Match: Key Decisions Ahead
As India readies itself for the crucial match at Headingley, the final warm-up is pivotal for the players to acclimatize to English conditions after transitioning from the fast-paced IPL format. The return of Jasprit Bumrah to red-ball cricket is a significant boost for the bowling attack, raising questions about who will partner with him and Mohammed Siraj.
The team faces a challenging decision between the all-round capabilities of Ravindra Jadeja and the wicket-taking potential of Kuldeep Yadav against aggressive English batsmen. These choices will be crucial in establishing the team's balance under the new captaincy of Shubman Gill in the longest format.
India's Squad for the England Series
The squad for the series includes: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, B Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, and Kuldeep Yadav.