India will play a five-match Test series against England, starting June 20. Ahead of that, the players were involved in an intra-squad match on June 13. The match was held behind closed doors, but as the BCCI confirmed, newly appointed captain Shubman Gill and KL Rahul scored a half-century each.
The upcoming Test series against the Three Lions holds extreme importance to Gill, who averages only 14.66 in England. His appointment as captain had mixed reactions as Gill’s performance in SENA countries was put under the scanner. Regardless, the team management and the selectors backed Gill for the role and in the intra-squad match, he showed pedigree and will be hoping to keep up with the momentum.
The series is also important for Rahul, who has a point to prove. In the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, he is the senior-most batter in the Test squad and will be hoping to prove his worth as his place was not guaranteed in the playing XI before the Australia series. However, in Australia, he had a good time with the bat and will be hoping to continue with the same momentum. With Rohit no longer available, he is now a guaranteed opener.
Apart from the intra-squad match, Rahul was also phenomenal in the game against England Lions, where he scored 116 and 51 runs respectively in two innings. His form will be extremely vital for the team in the five-match blockbuster series.
BCCI also confirmed that Shardul Thakur was among the wicket-takers. In case he bats well, the all-rounder can be preferred ahead of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the first Test at Edgbaston.
Players wore black armbands
All the players and the support staff wore black armbands during the intra-squad match. The motive behind the move was to pay tribute to the people who have lost their lives in the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12.