Richard Robinson, the pitch curator for Leeds, disclosed that England had requested a suitable surface before their first Test match against India, which is scheduled to start on June 20. After mainstays Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin retired, this is India’s first match under the red ball.
On the first day, the pitch should help pacers before flattening out because of the expected heat, Robinson said. In addition to favouring England’s aggressive batting approach, the surface may help level the playing field by allowing India’s inexperienced team to get used to the match.
The only thing that they (England) really want is a good surface so that we can hit through the ball’s line. According to ESPNcricinfo, Robinson stated, “That’s really what they’re looking for.”
Earlier, after Rohit retired from red-ball cricket, 25-year-old Shubman Gill was named India’s Test captain. With Rishabh Pant selected vice-captain for the England tour, Gill will become the 37th player to lead the country in the format.
Ajit Agarkar, the chairman of the selectors, said that Gill’s decision was predicated on his development throughout the previous two years. He stressed that the choice was taken with a long-term outlook, giving Gill the duty of leading India through the following stage.
“Captains are not chosen for a single tour or two. You wish to make an investment that will benefit us in the future. You’re hoping it’s the correct decision. Over the past year or two, you’ve made progress. It will be as difficult as it gets. He could have to pick up knowledge on the job. However, we have great confidence, which is why we chose him,” Agarkar stated.
It’s interesting to note that Gill was uncertain about starting in the 2024–2025 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). In the first Test at Perth, Jasprit Bumrah took over as captain of India in Rohit’s absence and led the team to victory. However, Bumrah’s campaign suffered a setback when he was sidelined for three months due to a back ailment he suffered during the final Test match in Sydney.
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