Shastri backs his 2021 'KL Rahul' decision to lock-in India's top-4 vs England, hands debut cap for Leeds Test

Team India will return to Test action on June 20 when it kicks off its World Test Championship cycle against England. The match in Leeds precedes a generational transition, with batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli leaving the format last month. A new-look Indian team, led by young captain Shubman Gill, will look to make a mark from the outset in the opening Test at Headingley, and ahead of the match, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has named his XI. India's KL Rahul during the fifth Test match between Australia and India in Sydney(AFP)

India’s new leadership duo of Gill and coach Gautam Gambhir will have some defining calls to make ahead of the first Test, none bigger than naming the next No.4. It’s not just a position; it’s a legacy. For decades, India’s no.4 in Tests has been the epicentre of greatness. From Sachin Tendulkar, who held it through the 2000s, to Virat Kohli, who inherited it seamlessly after Tendulkar’s retirement in 2013, the slot has been reserved for generational giants. With Kohli stepping away from Test cricket earlier this year, that storied position now lies vacant.

In terms of experience, KL Rahul remains India's most experienced batter in the current lineup, but Shastri believes the new captain, Gill, should be occupying the role. Rahul, he believes, is suited best at the top.

“It would be (Yashasvi) Jaiswal, and with him will be KL. Rahul, because I think this is a big tour for him. He's the most experienced of the batsmen,” Shastri told The ICC Review as he listed his side.

“He opened last time when India toured England, got a hundred, (and) had a good tour. So I would hope for him to open the innings.

“Three, I'll go with the youngster, Sai Sudarshan.

“Whatever I've seen of him, he's very impressive. This will be good exposure for him, this tour.”

Nair to return

While Shastri named Gill as his no.4, he sees a comeback for Karun Nair in the Test XI after 8 years. “In all probability, depending on what current form is, it'll be Karun Nair. He bats at five, it's a long time since he played for India. Six will be (Rishabh) Pant.”

“I think he (Nair) has worked really hard. He's just worked his way back into the side. The number of runs he's got in first-last cricket is incredible.

“And I met him during an IPL game. I said, ‘don't just bang the door. Just kick it down and make your way in and walk into that side’. And I think he's done just that. Just the number of runs that he's got has made the selectors look in that direction and give him a place.”

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