"Just looks like a class player to me" - Ricky Ponting names his batting order for Team India ahead of ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting picked Sai Sudharsan as Yashasvi Jaiswal's opening partner for India's upcoming Test series in England. Team India will play England in five Tests, starting at Leeds on June 20.

Sudharsan is coming off an incredible IPL 2025 season, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 759 runs in 15 outings. However, the southpaw is yet to make his Test debut for India and has only played three ODIs and a lone T20I.

Talking about India's potential batting order in the UK, Ponting told the ICC review:

"I think (Sai) Sudarshan and (Yashasvi) Jaiswal will open the batting (in England) as Sudarshan just looks like a class player to me and technically I think he could do well at Test level."

The two-time World Cup-winning captain backed KL Rahul or Karun Nair to bat at No.3, with skipper Shubman Gill slotting in at 4.

"They'll have two pretty young opening batters, so they might look to go for someone that's got a bit more experience at No.3.Whether that's KL (Rahul) or Karun (Nair) at No.3, and then Shubman might end up being that No.4 player, which will probably make life for him a little bit easier as a captain as well," said Ponting.

"Not having to be opening or batting at No.3 as a young captain might make it easier. Their top five will probably be Sudarshan, Jaiswal, KL, Gill and Karun Nair for the start of the England series," he added.

While Rahul has batted up and down the Indian Test batting order, Gill has only opened and batted at No.3 in his Test career. Meanwhile, Nair is returning to the Indian Test side after eight years, with his last appearance coming in 2017.

"We will decide the batting order once we are there" - Shubman Gill

India's newly-appointed Test captain Shubman Gill remained non-committal about the batting order for the upcoming England tour. The 25-year-old will be captaining India for the first time in Tests, having led the side only once in a T20I series in Zimbabwe last year.

Talking about the batting order in a recent press conference before departure to England, Gill said (via Sportskeeda):

"We still have some time, we will be playing an intra-squad and have a 10-day camp in London. We will decide the batting order once we are there."

India has mixed and matched their batting order in the two India A-England Lions four-day matches to finalize the lineup before the series opener against England.