IND vs ENG: Who should bat at no. 3 for India? Harbhajan picks

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has backed young left-hander Sai Sudharsan to bat astatine No. 3 successful India’s upcoming five-Test bid successful England, calling it a important accidental for the youngster."In my opinion, Sai Sudharsan should play astatine No.3. He's a left-hander, successful apical form, and conscionable came disconnected a precise awesome IPL. His method is sound, and I judge helium could beryllium the solution astatine that position," Harbhajan said, arsenic quoted by IANS.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The Indian squad for the England circuit indicates a important change. Following the status of veterans similar Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin from the format, an altered 18-member squad volition vie nether 25-year-old Shubman Gill's leadership, with Rishabh Pant serving arsenic his deputy.Selection caput Ajit Agarkar explained that Jasprit Bumrah was not considered for captaincy owed to workload absorption concerns."Gill is simply a caller captain, and the squad is rather young — there's nary Rohit, Virat, Pujara, oregon adjacent Ajinkya Rahane. It's going to beryllium challenging, but I expect our youngsters to emergence to the juncture and execute well," Harbhajan said.

He requested supporters and analysts to stay knowing during the team's development: "Just due to the fact that they don't triumph close distant doesn't mean we commencement criticising them.

The squad needs enactment close now. They're going done a transitional signifier — a caller team, a caller epoch — and I anticipation it turns retired to beryllium a palmy 1 for Indian cricket."

"The squad needs to judge successful themselves — judge that they tin win. This squad has the ability," Harbhajan added. "These are the aforesaid youngsters — Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant — who broke Australia's fortress astatine the Gabba. Now it's their crook to marque past again.

The accidental is massive, and they should drawback it with some hands." The squad enactment features first-time Test call-ups for B. Sai Sudharsan and Arshdeep Singh, whilst Karun Nair and Shardul Thakur return. The exclusion of Shreyas Iyer and Mohammed Shami has generated discussion, with some fans and erstwhile skipper Sourav Ganguly expressing concerns astir Iyer's omission. "Shreyas Iyer is simply a precise good player. He's proven himself successful ODIs, performed successful the World Cup, Champions Trophy, and IPL. So yes, helium should've been successful the squad. But possibly the selectors don't spot him arsenic a red-ball subordinate close now," Harbhajan said. "If I were portion of the enactment committee, I would person considered him. But this is not the extremity — his travel is long, and helium mightiness adjacent beryllium a aboriginal ODI captain. One missed circuit doesn't mean his vocation is over.

" The five-Test bid begins June 20 astatine Headingley and marks India’s introduction into the 2025–27 ICC World Test Championship cycle.