White-ball star Arshdeep will be ready for England: Coach

Announcing India's Test squad for England on Saturday, chief selector Ajit Agarkar said the focus was on the "big transition" that lies ahead.

- Shalini Gupta

CHANDIGARH: Besides the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the upcoming five-Test series will also miss Mohammed Shami with the team management having to manage Jasprit Bumrah's workload.

Among the pacers new skipper Shubman Gill can call upon will be Arshdeep Singh, the left-arm bowler who has rapidly built his reputation in white-ball formats. Although Arshdeep has established himself as a T20 match-winner, the trust factor will be there as the two go back a long way in Punjab cricket and were in India's 2018 U-19 World Cup winning squad.

The 26-year-old, whose ability to move the ball could be crucial in English conditions, he also trained since 2023 with the red-ball to upgrade himself in Test cricket. Arshdeep played only five matches in the 2024-25 domestic season, three in the Duleep Trophy and two in Ranji Trophy, but playing in the County Championship for Kent in 2023 gave him useful experience of the lengths to bowl to cash in on his ability to swing the ball.