Sanjay Bangar believes either Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran should bat at No. 3 for India instead of Shubman Gill or Karun Nair.
Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has suggested that Shubman Gill and Karun Nair should not be considered for the No. 3 position in the upcoming Test series against England. The five-match series begins on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.
Bangar believes Gill is more suited to bat at No. 4, the slot left vacant after Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket on May 12. According to him, the No. 3 role should be filled by either Sai Sudharsan or Abhimanyu Easwaran. The former cricketer then expects Karun Nair to bat at No. 6, behind Rishabh Pant. Nair recently impressed with a double century for India A against England Lions.
“I think none of them in my book (Gill or Karun at No. 3?). If at all Karun is playing, he would bat slightly lower down the order. All indications are that Shubman Gill may bat at No. 4. So, the toss up at No. 3 is going to be between Sai Sudharsan and Abhimanyu Easwaran. Easwaran also got a good score in one of the practice matches they played,” Bangar was quoted as saying by India Today.
“I don’t think there is going to be any difference there. One of those two will play at No. 3. No. 4 will be Shubman Gill and No 5 will be Rishabh Pant and No. 6 would be Karun Nair. That’s my understanding of the situation,” he added.
Notably, India’s pace combination also poses a selection challenge. Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the attack, with Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna as strong options. Arshdeep Singh and Akash Deep will aim to impress in the intra-squad match in Kent. Among seam-bowling all-rounders, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Shardul Thakur are both in contention.
Their decent outings in the recent unofficial Tests make them contenders for a starting spot. India will be aiming to finalise a balanced XI before the opening Test at Headingley on June 20.
Dafabet
- Maximum Cricket Cashback 10%
- India Super League Cashback
- Common wallet 100% deposit bonus up to ₹8,000 !
Last Updated on June 12, 2025
Senior Sports Copywriter
