A new era in India’s Test batting lineup will also begin on June 20 when the squad starts their five-Test campaign against England in Leeds. With captain Rohit Sharma and the great Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket, head coach Gautam Gambhir will have to rely on relative newbies who will face the most challenging conditions in swinging England.

A challenging challenge awaits

Despite the difficulty, former Test cricket players Wasim Jaffer, Pravin Amre, and Nilesh Kulkarni believe that India’s youthful team can win the acid test in Old Britain. “Experience cannot be purchased at any supermarket. Despite the fact that Rohit and Kohli both have a great deal of experience, we must move on. England has always been a difficult place to tour, so yes, this [England tour] will be a true litmus test for the new players or the relatively inexperienced Indian players, but it’s also a fantastic chance for our new batters to prove themselves,” Amre, 56, who played 11 Test matches, said midday on Thursday.

The former top-order batsman really believed that at the conclusion of this trip, some great new players may come out of India.

“We must use common sense. We shouldn’t have high expectations for them [newcomers] right immediately. They need time to get used to the team. If we succeed right away, that’s fantastic; if not, we need to be patient. However, we could have a Sourav Ganguly or a [new] Rahul Dravid here [after the England trip], Amre said.

Jaffer, 47, a 31-Test veteran and former India opener, agreed with Amre. In actuality, Indian hitting hasn’t been effective in a while. We haven’t let go of either Rohit or Virat. India’s success would mostly rest on their opening batsmen, Jaffer said. “I think this tour at the beginning of the English summer won’t be easy, but the new guys should look forward to the challenge,” he said. It’s always helpful if the openers get you off to a strong start, especially in England, where you don’t want to expose the middle order to the new ball.

The Dukes ball, which is used in England, swings a lot and is rather comparable to the SG ball we use here. The Dukes ball really continues to swing even after 30–40 overs. Therefore, you want your openers to perform effectively and make sure the ball loses its shine. Jaffer, who struck two consecutive half-centuries at Lord’s and Nottingham during India’s 2007 trip, said, “I think the rest of the batting lineup can strike if they can do that.”

“Spending time at the wicket is very crucial,” Jaffer said as the English hitters’ motto for success. You must exhaust their bowlers. You must force them to bowl three or four spells before taking advantage of the improved batting circumstances. You must thus play through both situations. The first is when things are a bit challenging and the ball is swinging about. You must live. You must wait for that opportunity and then seize it because England is a beautiful location to bat when the sun comes out.

Jadeja’s burden
Former India left-arm spinner Kulkarni, 52, said that Ravindra Jadeja, the team’s most seasoned player with 80 Tests, should be given greater responsibility in the bowling department. “Jadeja is India’s most seasoned spinner in red-ball cricket, so he will have to shoulder that additional load after [off-spinner] R Ashwin’s retirement. With players like [Jasprit] Bumrah, [Mohammed] Shami, [Mohammed] Siraj, and even Harshit Rana in the fast bowling department, we can take 20 wickets as long as our batters put up a respectable total on the board, Kulkarni said.

Shubman Gill scored 88 runs at an average of only 14.66 in three Test matches played in England.