Gill will bat at No. 4, I will stick to 5: Pant

As India ready themselves for a new-look batting line-up after the departure of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the England Tests, vice-captain Rishabh Pant on Wednesday confirmed that while the team remains currently undecided on the No. 3 spot, captain Shubman Gill will bat at No. 4 in the series while he will follow at the No. 5 slot.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

So far, it was Kohli who had been batting at the pivotal No. 4 spot, which means Gill has big shoes to fill.

"There is still discussion going on about who is going to play 3. But 4, 5 are definitely fixed. I think Shubman is going to bat at 4 and I am going to stick to No. 5 as of now, and rest we are going to keep on discussing," said the wicket-keeper batter in Leeds.

There are returnees and several batters who are on their first tour to England under the new-look Gill-led team. In the process, India are also chasing their first series win in England since 2007. Aware that India are undergoing a transition, Pant believes that it is more of an opportunity than a challenge.

"It's a new start for us. Big people have left and there will be a gap but at the same time, there's an opportunity to build a new culture forward or add to it," Pant said.

"We can help the new players to learn and improve in overseas conditions. And we have a lot of care and love for each other in the dressing room."

Pant, who is on his third Test tour to England, will have to step up as one of the senior batters in the team. "It feels good (to be considered a senior), finally," he laughed. "At the same time, it's a responsibility to share your knowledge and experience with youngsters and new players coming in. It's an extra added responsibility, but in the middle, you are not thinking that you are the vice-captain or a senior batter, you are just a batsman in the middle and you have to do your best and the game will take care of itself."