India's Test Shuffle: Three Players Benched as Rotated Squad Faces England

India's Test Series Strategy: A Constantly Rotating Squad Leaves Some on the Sidelines

India's approach to the ongoing five-Test Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England has been anything but consistent when it comes to team selection. Under the leadership of captain Shubman Gill, the squad has seen a different playing XI in each match, raising questions about stability versus adaptability.

India captain Shubman Gill with teammates during a net session. (Getty Images)

As the series culminates at The Oval, the Indian team has made four more changes for the fifth and final Test, extending the trend of fielding a different XI each time. This constant rotation has meant that some players have yet to get a chance to prove their mettle.

Notably, three players – Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Abhimanyu Easwaran – have remained unused throughout the entire series. While there was speculation about utilizing Kuldeep's spin bowling, Arshdeep and Easwaran are still awaiting their Test debuts.

India's strategy from the outset has been to adapt to various factors, including pitch conditions, player form, and workload management. For instance, Jasprit Bumrah was rested at times as part of a pre-arranged plan, necessitating at least one change. However, the alterations have been more extensive than just covering for Bumrah's absence.

After suffering a defeat in the first Test at Leeds, the Indian cricket team responded by making three changes for the second Test at Edgbaston. Sai Sudharsan, Shardul Thakur, and Bumrah were replaced by Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, and Akash Deep. This new combination resulted in a resounding 336-run victory for India.

For the third Test at Lord's, only one change was made, with Bumrah returning in place of Prasidh Krishna. However, a narrow 22-run loss prompted further adjustments. In the fourth Test at Manchester, Sudharsan, Shardul, and debutant Anshul Kamboj were included in the side, while Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, and Akash Deep were omitted.

Despite the constant changes, India displayed resilience to draw the fourth Test and maintain their chances in the series.

The final Test at The Oval saw another reshuffle, with Dhruv Jurel, Karun Nair, Akash Deep, and Prasidh Krishna replacing Pant, Shardul, Kamboj, and Bumrah.

Whether these frequent changes will ultimately benefit or hinder India’s chances of leveling the series at 2-2 remains to be seen. Nevertheless, India’s adaptability and the depth of their bench have been put to the test throughout this challenging five-Test series.

India's Playing XIs vs England in 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy:

• 1st Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
• 2nd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
• 3rd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
• 4th Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Anshul Kamboj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
• 5th Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (c), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Washington Sundar, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj