Gill's promotion, Bumrah's workload: Ajit Agarkar explains India's key decisions for England Tests

India are set to travel to England for a five-Test series starting on June 20. The squad for the tour was announced during a press conference at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Saturday.

Selectors Ajit Agarkar and SS Das were present, with Agarkar fielding questions from the media about the 18-player squad that had been picked.

The first major call in the spotlight was the appointment of Shubman Gill as Test captain, taking over from Rohit Sharma who retired from the format earlier this month.

Agarkar: We've looked at Shubman at various times

“I think over the last year or so, we've looked at Shubman at various times,” said Agarkar. “I think even when we played England last year. We take a lot of feedback, sometimes from the dressing room as well.

“Obviously, he's very young, but we've seen the improvement. And I know it's T20 cricket for GT as well, but you take feedback from a lot of people, and we are hopeful that he's the guy who can...[take us forward]. It's obviously going to be (like it always is) a high pressure job, but we're hopeful that we've picked the right guy. I think he's a terrific player, and best wishes to him.”

Agarkar declined to comment on whether, as many expect, Gill would take Virat Kohli's spot at No.4 in the Indian batting order – saying it would be a decision for Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir to make.

Read more: For the first time in 33 years, India have a Test No.4 debate: Here are the candidates

'You don't pick captains for one or two tours'

Agarkar also dispelled doubts over Gill's ability to cope with being thrown into the deep end, as it were, for his first assignment in Test cricket to be a tour of England: “I mean, you don't pick captains for one tour or two tours. You want to try and invest in something that's going to help us going forward.

“Like I said, you are hoping that it's is the right call that's been made. We've seen some progress or over the course of the last year or two with him. There's no doubt it is [difficult]. It is going to be as tough as it gets doing a five match series in England, and maybe you'll have to learn on the job a little bit. But we are very confident with what he has to offer, and that's the reason we've picked him.”

Agarkar: Don't think Bumrah will play all five Tests

In a somewhat expected move, the chief selector also confirmed that pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will not be available for all five Test matches.

“I don't think he'll be available for all five Tests. As far as the physios and the doctors have told us, it’s four or three. I think we'll see how the series goes and how his body can take the workload. Needless to say how important he is. So even if he's fit for whether it's three or four Tests, I think he's going to win us a few Test matches here.

“So we're just glad that he's fit. And you know, that little setback that he had in Australia wasn't too bad. He's back playing [now]. We've seen, I know it's T20 cricket at the moment, but we've seen what he's doing in the IPL. So, we're just happy that he's part of the squad.”

With Bumrah likely not playing all five Tests, and Mohammed Shami excluded from the squad, much of the pace-bowling onus for India could fall on Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna and Arshdeep Singh.

The retirement of Virat Kohli earlier this month was also raised during the press conference. “Virat obviously reached out early April and said he wants to finish,” Agarkar said.

“I mean, we've seen him, give what, 200 per cent, every ball that he plays. Even when he's not batting, or he's in the field. He probably felt that he had given everything that he had, and if he can't keep up to the standards that he set himself over the years and how good he's been, maybe it was time for him. It's come from him. You've got to respect that.”

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