"Enough time to just relax" - Former Indian spinner picks Team India's batting order for ENG vs IND 2025 series

Former Indian spinner Venkatapathy Raju picked his preferred batting order for the side in their upcoming Test tour of England. Led by Shubman Gill, India will play five Tests in England, starting June 20.

With the recent Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the batting order for the England tour has been a hot topic of discussion over the past few weeks. Raju suggested that skipper Gill bat at No.3, with their most senior batter, KL Rahul, at No.4.

In a conversation with the Hindustan Times, he also spoke about the side's overall batting order apart from Gill and Rahul, saying:

"Gill can come number three. It's just my opinion. We're not talking about what they've planned. So I think if you ask me, because he's leading, so he'll get enough time to just relax and then walk into the bat happily. So Jaiswal and Sudharsan can open, with Gill at No. 3 and KL No. 4. No.5 can be Pant."

He continued:

"I think Gill can be no. 3. So you've got Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan and Karun Nair. You can choose from these three in that opening slot. Gill can be No. 3 and No. 4 can be KL Rahul. So that adds a little more strength in the batting. And then you've got Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jaleja. You've got all these guys coming back."

Gill has batted at No.3 in Tests since the middle of 2023 after predominantly opening the batting since his debut in 2020. However, his Test numbers are underwhelming, with an average of only 35.05 in 32 outings.

"Should give enough time for a team to settle down" - Venkatapathy Raju on India's young side

Venkatapathy Raju urged fans to give the new-look Indian Test side time to settle down and prove their mettle. The side has seen three legends, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kohli, and Rohit, retire from the red-ball format in the last six months.

They are also coming off back-to-back Test series losses to New Zealand and Australia.

In another interview with IANS, Raju said (via NDTV):

"We should give enough time for a team to settle down, right? We were all so used to seeing all the senior players like Rohit, Virat or Ashwin - guys who have served India for more than 15 years. Naturally, any team will miss players with so much experience. But then, the other players now get a chance."

India last won a Test series in England in 2007, but the previous tour saw them return with a 2-2 draw in 2021/22. Meanwhile, England haven't lost a home Test series since Ben Stokes became permanent captain in mid-2022.