Shubman Gill at No. 3 or No. 4? Cheteshwar Pujara picks top order for India's tour to England

The Test squad has been announced, and it has a new captain in the form of Shubman Gill as India are less than a month away from their gruelling five-match Test series in England.

The team is sporting a slew of new faces and the return of a couple of old ones as the Indian Test side starts its new era without stalwarts R Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.

Veteran Test batsman Cheteshwar Pujara has had his say on the team, especially on the Indian batting order, as it is the biggest talking point ahead of the tour to England.

New top order

The retirements of Sharma and Kohli have not only created a leadership vacuum, but they have also left a sizeable hole in the top order. The former was the team's opener, while the latter occupied the key number 4 position.

Pujara spoke to Sony Sports Network, who will broadcast the England tour, and opined, "The openers who batted in Australia in the BGT (Border-Gavaskar Trophy) series — KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal — should continue. Now talking about No. 3, at this stage we don't know whether Shubman Gill will bat there or drop to No. 4.

"If Shubman bats at No. 4, then someone like Abhimanyu Easwaran or Karun Nair could be a good fit at that position, but I still would like to see Shubman batting at No. 3," he said.

Karun Nair at 4?

Pujara further went on to say, "Someone like Karun, who has done well in domestic cricket, I think the ideal position for Karun would be No. 4. If Shubman bats at No. 3, then Karun Nair comes in at No. 4.

“If Shubman bats at No. 4, then at No. 3 it would be a choice between Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sai Sudharsan.”

‘Gill can emulate Rahane’

Gill, 25, will lead a young, inexperienced Indian Test side on a tough challenge in the pace-friendly conditions of England.

Earlier on May 24, Saturday, former cricketer Mohammed Kaif felt India's new Test skipper has a shot at glory since expectations could be low due to the recent exits of the three stalwarts.

Kaif drew comparisons to India's tour to Australia in 2021, in which Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane led a young side to a 2-1 win in the four-match series.

"When Rahane was leading India in Australia, before the Gabba Test, everyone had said that it was a very young team.

"So, Gill should probably phone Rahane and have a chat because Rahane had done some brilliant work on that tour with a young side.

"Gill has to do something like that as well,” Kaif said in the video posted on his X account.

India begins its tour to England on June 20, when the first Test begins at Headingley. 

They will play four more Tests before heading back home, and Gill will look to be the first Indian captain to win a Test series in England since Rahul Dravid in 2007.