India vice-captain Rishabh Pant reveals who will replace Virat Kohli to bat at No.4 during England Tests

The Test series between India and England is set to commence in just two days. It will kick off with the first match of the series at Headingley, starting on June 20. Prior to the game, a significant question among fans was who would take the No. 4 batting position in the absence of Virat Kohli. Additionally, there was curiosity regarding the opening pair following Rohit Sharma's situation. Just before the Headingley Test, Indian vice-captain Rishabh Pant revealed the name of the player who will replace Kohli.

Rishabh Pant, the new Test vice-captain of India, held a press conference ahead of the Headingley Test. During this event, he made a crucial announcement that Team India would approach the first Test with a predetermined batting order. Pant stated that the top order would consist of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had previously opened together during the tour of Australia.

Even before the match, Pant suggested that Shubman Gill would take the No. 4 spot instead of Kohli. Pant himself will bat at No. 5, similar to his position during the Australia tour in England. However, he also mentioned that discussions are ongoing regarding who will fill the No. 3 batting position.

"I think 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 that,” he said.

“Me and him, we gel really well together. We keep on having conversations and the kind of comfort zone we have with each other, I think that is really going to be special for us,” he later added.

In the meantime, England has surprisingly left out young all-rounder Jacob Bethell from the first Test against India, which begins on Friday at Headingley. The team, captained by Ben Stokes, has welcomed back veteran seamer Chris Woakes into the playing XI announced on Wednesday. Woakes had been out of action due to an ankle injury that required surgery last December. The 36-year-old recently played in the second match between India A and England Lions in Northampton, where he took 3 wickets for 60 runs and 2 for 43.

The Leeds Test will also mark the return of pacer Josh Tongue, whose career has been plagued by ongoing injuries. Tongue missed the entire 2024 season and more than half of the 2023 season due to various health issues and injuries. The 27-year-old suffered a hamstring tear during The Hundred 2023 shortly after recovering from a serious pectoral muscle injury.

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