The No.4 question: India look for options to fill middle-order void ahead of England tour

Virat Kohli's retirement from Test cricket leaves India with a vacuum in the middle order, especially the No.4 slot in the batting order.

- STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

Ever since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar in 2013, India made a smooth transition with Kohli owning the spot in 99 out of the 115 Tests played so far, with others filling in as replacements on the remaining occasions.

Ajinkya Rahana took the spot on nine occasions while in the last series that Kohli missed entirely - the home Tests against England in early 2024 - India used as many as four batters at two down: KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rajat Patidar (in two Tests) and Devdutt Padikkal.

It's a tricky spot given that the batter is expected to tackle a slightly older ball and Kohli mastered the craft with his technical acumen. India's first assignment as they begin life after Kohli and former skipper Rohit Sharma is a five-match tour of England in June, which will also kickstart the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.

Shubman Gill, a firm contender for Test captaincy, is widely being projected to take up the role in the batting order. But in reality, Gill is yet to bat outside the top three in 32 Tests since making his debut in December 2020.