CHENNAI: The last time India touched the England shores in 2021-22, the team was loaded with experienced players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara. India drew the series 2-2 with the last Test of the five-match series played almost nine months after the fourth due to Covid-19 outbreak. These four players along with pacer Mohammed Shami, who was not picked this time around due to injury, had played 442 Test matches among themselves till date.
With Kohli and Sharma recently announcing their retirement from the format, the selectors led by the chief selector Ajit Agarkar on Saturday picked up a relatively young 18-member squad with 25-year-old Shubman Gill being the leader of the pack and wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant his deputy.
A look at the squad and it is evident that the selected players except a few lack experience especially overseas. Out of 18, three — B Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Eswarana and Arshdeep Singh — have yet to make their debut while six others have played nine or less Test matches.
Going by sheer number of Tests they have played, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with 80 matches under his belt is the most experienced player in the team followed by KL Rahul (53), Jasprit Bumrah (45), Rishabh Pant (43), Gill (32) and Mohammed Siraj (45). Others, who have touched the double figures are Yashasvi Jaiswal (19), Shardul Thakur (11) and Kuldeep Yadav (13).
If compared to the England top four and their captain currently playing against Zimbabwe in their only Test at Nottingham, the experience of the Indian players looks even more marginal. The top four of India's next opponents includes Zak Crawley (54), Ben Duckett (33), Oliver Pope (56) and Joe Root (153) and if captain Ben Stokes (111) is added to the list, they all have played 407 Test, including the ongoing contest against Zimbabwe, so far. All the 18 Indian players in turn have played 371 matches so far.
Chief selector Ajit Agarkar addressed the issue during the press conference held in Mumbai to announce the squad for the England tour comprising five Test matches. "When guys (Kohli and Sharma) like that retire, they are stalwarts of cricket...it is always difficult, (their) shoes are very big to fill. But one way of looking at it is, that it's an opportunity for others," Agarkar told the media in Mumbai. "They've left a legacy behind. Obviously, I've had conversations with both of them over the last couple of months."
The former India all-rounder also spoke on the decision to appoint Gill as the captain. "Whether it's a tough experience, or, we have a really good series, whichever way you look at it, it is going to be tough and experience can only help going forward." The Mumbai stalwart expressed confidence that Gill is the one to take Indian Test side forward. "It's a big job; it's a big transition. Two of your big players are retiring. But we're all confident that he's the guy to take us forward and hopefully, in time, that proves it. He's a terrific player and we're all very hopeful. It's a massive transition. Rohit (had) been around for a while now. Before that, Virat (had) been around. It is the start of a new cycle and the experience can only help."
Only time will tell how these players fare in England but as Agarkar said it's going to be tough but also an opportunity to carve a niche for self. Kohli had a bad England tour in 2014 but that inspired him to be a world beater in the later stage of his career. The youngsters hopefully will look to emulate him when they take the field for the first Test on June 20.