Given the English conditions, the Indian management might be tempted to go with a fifth seamer.
After failing to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 Final, India will begin the new 2025-27 cycle with a high-profile five-match Test series against England, starting June 20 in Leeds. This will also be the first Test series where India will be without their batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, after the duo retired from the format last month.
With a young Shubman Gill bestowed with the captaincy reins, the Men in Blue face a daunting task as they aim to win a series after 18 years in England.
There is a lot of speculation surrounding the team combination that Gill and the Indian management will opt for. One particular question remains over the selection of all-rounders with India having two spinning options in Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and two seaming options in Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur.
Given the English conditions, the Indian management might be tempted to go with a fifth seamer. This raises the question of whether they should drop Ravindra Jadeja for Nitish Kumar Reddy.
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The short answer is no. The No.1 Test all-rounder has the most experience in English conditions in the current Indian squad. Jaddu will also be the frontline spinner, and his ability to go through overs quickly while restricting runs and picking up wickets against the tide will be important to tighten the noose and build pressure on the opponents.
Furthermore, with a relatively young and inexperienced batting unit, Jaddu’s batting will be imperative lower down the order. He has a decent record with the willow.
NKR played all five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, but England will be different. Reddy lacks experience in swing-friendly conditions while his ‘block and hit’ approach from Down Under might not be as effective. The 22-year-old will require technical adjustments as playing shots through the line frequently won’t help, making late contact when close to the body, leaving the ball and other refinements.
Furthermore, with Reddy not being a frontline wicket-taker and clocking modest speeds of 120-125 kmph, his primary task will be to contain and then see if he can exploit the conditions.
India will ideally look to have five bowlers in the lineup, which means five batters plus the keeper. Reddy’s inclusion replaces a specialist batter, potentially weakening the lineup. If he underperforms, questions will arise about why an extra batter wasn’t picked instead.
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