KL Rahul to play as a specialist batter; KS Bharat to start as wicketkeeper in England Tests: Report

The BCCI announced a 16-man India squad for the upcoming five-match England Test series. Apart from the expected returns of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, there was a surprise inclusion of wicketkeeper batter Dhruv Jurel ahead of Ishan Kishan or any other stumper. However, one key thing about Jurel's selection was that he was the third keeper in the squad and not the second with KL Rahul and KS Bharat being also listed as wicketkeepers. But as per reports, Rahul will only play as a specialist batter and not as a keeper.

As per a report, Bharat is set to start the England series as the designated wicketkeeper given the surfaces in India will turn. Bharat, who played all the Test matches at home against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was safe with the gloves behind the stumps and even though his batting returns weren't up to the mark, he will be trusted with the job yet again with Rahul, who found form in South Africa with a century, set to play in the middle order against England. 

"The Indian team will once again be playing on a turner track, and the team management felt that specialist keepers



should handle the job at home. The team has many quality spinners, and the team won’t take any chances, especially when the pitch being offered will be a turner," a BCCI source was quoted as saying in the report which stated that Rahul was asked by the management to keep just in South Africa where the bounce was always going to be around the waist or even higher.

Since the pitches will be turners, the management has informed the selection committee as per the report that they will require a specialist keeper against the quality of spinners like Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel. The pace attack, on the other hand, will be rotated throughout the Test series which suggests that Avesh Khan might be in line for a debut in the whites for India with Mohammed Shami still nursing an injury.

India's Test squad for first two matches against England: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), KS Bharat (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan