Sanjay Bangar picks India’s strongest XI for first Test vs England

Former Team India coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed India's strongest playing XI for the first Test against England, scheduled to start on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds, which is part of the new World Test Championship Cycle.

The former Indian cricketer went ahead with KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal as opening batters while Abhimanyu Easwaran took up the No.3 spot. He has picked Indian skipper Shubman Gill at No.4 with his deputy taking up the No.5 spot while Karun Nair, the in-form batter, occupies the No.6 spot.

All-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy will take up the No. 7 role, who had an exceptional Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, having made his Test debut on that tour. While Kuldeep Yadav was the lone spinner, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah form the pace battery.

"My team is Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran at No. 3, Shubman Gill at No. 4, Rishabh Pant at No. 5, Karun Nair at No. 6, Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 7, Kuldeep Yadav at No. 8, and then three seamers - Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah," he said in the Star Sports ‘Game Plan’ show.

"I see Nitish as a batter who can bowl. I can't see him as a bowler who can bat. However, Nitish starts in my team ahead of Shardul. Shardul doesn't play in my first XI. Nitish Reddy will play first," Bangar added.

"It will be a condition-based call on whether you would play one spinner or two spinners. Whenever the Indian team wants to play one spinner on this tour, I feel it should be Kuldeep Yadav because there is a huge question about the fitness of your trump card, Jasprit Bumrah," he stated.

"That's why I would want the Indian team to strengthen their bowling. Yes, the top order didn't score runs in Australia, but another huge reason for India's defeat was the lack of penetration in bowling. So you will have to go with solid bowling as well," Bangar concluded.

Sanjay Bangar’s Indian XI for the first Test vs England:

Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Karun Nair, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah.

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