Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Dinesh Karthik has picked India’s batting order for the opening Test match against England. Karthik backed the opening duo of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. The right and left-hand batting pair had also opened the innings together on the Australian tour.
Furthermore, Rahul and Jaiswal were backed as opening duo in the second unofficial Test against England Liona. Karthik picked in-form Sai Sudharsan to bat at number three after the left-hander scored 759 runs in IPL 2025 for Gujarat Titans.
The former right-hander said newly appointed captain Shubman Gill should bat at number four. The RCB mentor backed Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair to bat at five and six respectively. Karthik believes all-rounders – Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur – should bat at number seven and eight respectively.
Karthik said it would be crucial for Shubman Gill to lead from the front and the world would be oyster if he could carry his white-ball form in the Test series.
“Jaiswal looks like a man who is ready for a challenge like this. At No.3, Sai Sudharsan, I feel he has done outstandingly well in white-ball cricket, IPL, and in the limited opportunities he has got for India as well. Can he convert that form into red-ball cricket as well? Shubman Gill, who is going to take over the mantle from the King. That’s a big one, but he knows. He wants to win that dressing room. If he gets going with the bat and shows the form he has shown in white-ball cricket, the world is his oyster,” Karthik said on an Instagram post on his account.
“At No.8, I think Shardul Thakur is going to be the man. He is a bowling all-rounder, but his batting is going to be useful. We all know how lower-order runs are extremely important,” he added.
Dinesh Karthik’s batting order for opening Test against England: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur.
The opening Test match between India and England will be played at Leeds, Headingley, from June 20 onwards.
