IND vs ENG 2021: "Hand over the opening spot to KL Rahul for all 5 tests" - Twitterati gives opinion on Mayank Agarwal's replacement for the 1st Test

Indian opening batsman Mayank Agarwal suffered an unfortunate blow to the head on Monday during a net session at Trent Bridge. The BCCI confirmed that the opener suffered a concussion, ruling him out of the first Test which will commence on Wednesday (August 4).

Mayank Agarwal was expected to open the innings with Rohit Sharma in the upcoming series as Shubman Gill was out of the tour due to an injury. But now India need to find a replacement for the first Test. Here is the squad available for Team India to select from for the series opener:

Indian Squad: Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (Captain), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Md. Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, KL Rahul, Wriddhiman Saha (wicket-keeper), Abhimanyu Easwaran.

Cheteshwar Pujara, KL Rahul, and Hanuma Vihari have prior experience opening in Test cricket for India. West Bengal batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran is also another opening option. The Team India management will choose one among these four players to partner with Rohit Sharma in the first Test.

After taking note of Mayank Agarwal's injury, fans took to Twitter to voice their opinions on which player should replace Mayank Agarwal and open the batting for India in the first Test. The majority wanted KL Rahul to be reinstated as the Test opener, considering his excellent current form with the bat.

Twitterati gives their opinion on Mayank Agarwal's replacement for the 1st India vs England Test

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Balakrishna has been a cricket writer at Sportskeeda for almost seven years. A sport that he has been following and playing since he was eight, Balakrishna enjoys the intensity of the sport, skills and strategies applied to get a result out of nowhere, and the thrill that it gives. He also played as a medium pace bowling all-rounder in four inter-college tournaments, winning twice.

Balakrishna’s all-time favorite cricketers are Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma. He admires Sachin’s stellar performances against legendary bowlers, along with his discipline and humility. Meanwhile, he is a big fan of how Rohit turned around his initial struggles to build a successful career.

He avidly supports Team India and 2016 IPL winners SunRisers Hyderabad. The first World Cup that Balakrishna ever saw was the 2003 World Cup, when Australia comprehensively triumphed over India in the final.

While working, he ensures he only uses reliable sources and provides relevant, ethical, and accurate information. When not working, Balakrishna enjoys playing table tennis and reading non-fiction books.

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