Shubman Gill to Bat at No. 4, India Yet to Decide on No. 3 Batsman

India’s Test side is undergoing a generational transition heading into the England series, with Shubman Gill confirmed at No. 4—the position vacated by Virat Kohli—and key debates ongoing around the rest of the batting and bowling makeup. Here’s a breakdown of the current team thinking based on Rishabh Pant’s confirmation and squad signals two days before the Test: 🇮🇳 Likely Indian Batting Order vs England Yashasvi Jaiswal – Retains opening spot KL Rahul – Returns to open; last opened during Australia tour Karun Nair – Frontrunner for No. 3 after playing there in practice match and slip cordon signals Shubman Gill (captain) – Confirmed at Kohli’s old position Rishabh Pant (vice-captain, wk) – Firmly back in the XI B Sai Sudharsan or Nitish Kumar Reddy – Last middle-order spot up for grabs Ravindra Jadeja – Allrounder lock 8–11. To be decided based on bowling strategy 🔁 Who Fills the Last Batting Spot? B Sai Sudharsan: Uncapped, elegant left-hander In red-hot form in domestic and A-team cricket Could balance the top-heavy right-hand-dominated order Nitish Kumar Reddy: Impressive in Australia tour with a century under pressure Offers seam-bowling option – might appeal in seam-friendly English conditions ⚖️ Fifth Bowler Dilemma India’s decision to field only four bowlers in Australia faced heavy backlash, especially given recent years’ Test success was built on relentless five-bowler strategies. Now, they must choose between: ✅ Playing a fifth bowler (e.g., Washington Sundar or Reddy, as a seam/spin allrounder) ✅ Backing six specialist batters and going with a 4-man attack + Jadeja A lot may depend on: Pitch conditions at Headingley Pant's workload behind the stumps Jadeja’s bowling form and match fitness 🔍 Likely Bowling Contenders Jasprit Bumrah – Available but managing workload (likely to play 3 of 5 Tests) Mohammed Siraj – Leading pacer in Bumrah’s rotation gaps Mukesh Kumar / Akash Deep / Arshdeep Singh – Competing for third seamer role Washington Sundar / Reddy – Allrounders, potential fifth bowling option Kuldeep Yadav / Axar Patel – Second spinner only if pitch demands 🧠 What This Means Gill at No. 4 is a leadership + batting pivot decision; he replaces Kohli in stature and slot Karun Nair’s return at No. 3 would mark a quiet but notable comeback after years in the wilderness Jadeja’s presence gives India balance, but the rest depends on whether they trust a 4-man attack again Sudharsan vs. Reddy at No. 6 will likely be a strategic call: batting depth vs. bowling support