Pace bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur is set to make a Test return for India on the upcoming England tour, after not being in the red-ball scheme for nearly 18 months. Thakur's red-ball form for Mumbai during the domestic season, combined with India's need for a fourth pacer during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, almost sealed his return ahead of the England tour and would form a potent pace attack with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, among others.
Thakur was in good bowling form for the Lucknow Super Giants after going unsold but was dropped later on. Thakur withdrew from a County contract for Essex in a surprising call, to be part of the IPL as the red-ball experience in the County Championship would put him in good stead for a return in Tests in England.
As per a Cricbuzz report, while Thakur's return seems imminent, the same couldn't be said about Shreyas Iyer, who is at an all-time high having won Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup, the IPL, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and the Champions Trophy, all in the last 15 months, a couple of them as a captain, got his central contract back and has been outstanding in the ongoing IPL for the Punjab Kings as a captain and as a batter.
Iyer visibly has tweaked his technique and is able to counter the short-pitched bowling better, however, his place in the squad will depend mainly on which way the Virat Kohli wind blows. If Kohli decides to stay, contrary to several reports, Iyer might have to wait for his Test return, but if the former India captain stays adamant in his call of Test retirement, the Mumbai batter is in with a chance to return to the red-ball side, which will be in desperate need of some experience in England.
Rohit Sharma's Test retirement and now reports of Kohli also shutting the red shop might leave India with just two major experienced heads in Tests in the form of Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah, with Shubman Gill being the frontrunner for captaincy.